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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 · wind · bowl · march · tear · bore · toast · calf

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. march — music
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. march — the month
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. tear — to rip
  11. toast — bread
  12. tear — from crying
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bore — to drill
  16. march — the month
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wind — moving air
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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