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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 116 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: row · staff · tear · stick · race · wake · pitch · wave

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. row — a line
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. staff — employees
  6. pitch — completely
  7. row — to paddle
  8. race — humankind
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wake — a trail
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. staff — employees
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. row — a quarrel
  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