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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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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: pitch · bowl · lie · land · swing · cap · wake · rest

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. swing — music
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cap — of ice
  9. land — ground
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rest — a break
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cap — a hat
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rest — what's left
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lie — to recline
  22. land — to come down
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rest — what's left

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