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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: chair · wave · track · wind · pitch · chip

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wind — moving air
  11. track — to keep track
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wave — of the sea

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