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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · pitcher · pit · roll · capital · wind · ground · rash

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pit — a hole
  11. ground — a position
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. capital — money
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rash — a series
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. capital — a city
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wave — with your hand

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