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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: cabinet · wave · pitch · club · foot · land · firm · wound

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. land — to come down
  3. firm — steady
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. land — ground
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. club — for dancing
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. club — for golf
  18. land — a country
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wound — an injury
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. pitch — completely
  24. club — a group

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