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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: row · pitch · wave · bowl · land · pound · bore · bear

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. land — a country
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. land — ground
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pound — a weight
  17. land — to come down
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bear — the animal

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