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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 124 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: suit · wave · lie · spell · pitcher · roll · cold · pitch

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. roll — a list
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. cold — an illness
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spell — magic
  18. roll — a cake
  19. suit — clothes
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. cold — not warm

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