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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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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: bowl · pitch · chair · lean · chip · wave

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pitch — completely
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chair — a leader
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend

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