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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · staff · bass · pitch · leaves · bound · sharp · stem

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. staff — employees
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bass — the fish
  12. chip — to eat
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. chip — for betting
  15. stem — to come from
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. staff — employees
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bass — low music
  20. bound — certain
  21. staff — a stick
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. leaves — of a tree

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