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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · rock · pound · saw · calf · pitch · plane · fork

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rock — a stone
  5. saw — the tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fork — in a road
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. saw — the tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com