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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 · pitch · land · coach · bound · squash · wave · rock

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bound — certain
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rock — a stone
  14. squash — the sport
  15. land — ground
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pitch — completely
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. land — to come down
  21. rock — music
  22. land — a country
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wave — of the sea

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