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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: pitcher · pitch · saw · race · field · wave · pop · roll

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. race — humankind
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. roll — a cake
  9. field — for sport
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. saw — the tool
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. field — a subject
  16. race — a contest
  17. field — farmland
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. pop — music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pop — soda

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