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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 · chip · rock · pop · court · pitcher · hand · lie

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. pop — music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chip — for betting
  4. court — for sport
  5. hand — help
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pop — soda
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chip — to eat
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rock — music
  19. court — of a king
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. court — of law
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rock — a stone
  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