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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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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: cabinet · wave · chair · track · toast · pitch · dip · pit

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. toast — bread
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. track — to keep track
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pitch — a sports field

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