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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.

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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: club · dip · wave · pitch · chair · saw · cabinet · file

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. file — a document
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. file — a tool
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. saw — the tool
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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