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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 · pitch · pop · bulb · prune · wind · coach · chair

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pop — to visit
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pop — soda
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — with your hand
  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