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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: calf · land · pitch · deal · wave · file · mug · club

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. club — a group
  6. pitch — completely
  7. club — for golf
  8. mug — to rob
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. file — a line of people
  11. land — ground
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. file — a document
  18. land — to come down
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. club — for dancing
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. file — a tool
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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