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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: can · roll · pitch · bass · last · row · leaves · tear

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. tear — from crying
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. roll — a list
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bass — the fish
  8. can — a tin
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bass — low music
  12. last — to go on
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. roll — a cake
  15. last — finally
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pitch — completely
  18. tear — from crying
  19. last — final
  20. row — a line
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. row — to paddle

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