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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: mark · pass · object · chest · pitch · staff · wave · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. object — a thing
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pass — a permit
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. chest — of your body
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mark — a grade
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. object — an aim
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. object — to protest
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. sharp — with an edge

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