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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 120 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: mark · wave · chip · net · pitcher · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. net — for catching
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. lean — thin
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer

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