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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: wave · foot · pitch · shower · bound · stand · bat · chip

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bat — the animal
  10. shower — rain
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. shower — to wash
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bound — certain
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. foot — a measure

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