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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: stand · bound · staff · hand · pitch · wound · wave · net

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. net — for catching
  3. bound — certain
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. hand — in cards
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. net — in sport
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. net — after costs
  13. pitch — completely
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. hand — help
  18. staff — employees
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stand — to bear
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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