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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: sharp · court · wave · pitch · rest · calf · mug · pound

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mug — a face
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. court — of law
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. court — for sport
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. court — of a king
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wave — of the sea

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