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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: land · pass · pound · wave · drill · straw · pitch · arm

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pound — a weight
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. drill — a practice
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pitch — completely
  12. land — ground
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. drill — army training
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. land — a country
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pass — a permit

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