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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: pitch · last · fall · prune · chest · wave · pound · bound

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bound — certain
  4. pitch — completely
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fall — to drop
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. last — final
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. fall — the season
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. last — to go on
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bound — obliged
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pound — a weight
  22. chest — a box
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. last — finally

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