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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: season · straw · pitch · row · fine · can · ball · hand

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fine — all right
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. season — of the year
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. ball — a dance
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pitch — completely
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ball — a great time
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. season — in sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. row — a line
  21. can — to be able to
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. can — a tin

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