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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: pitch · mine · bay · wind · chest · wave · toast · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pitch — completely
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. toast — bread
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chest — a box
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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