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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 116 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: chair · coach · present · pitch · wave · clip · bowl · cap

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. present — the time now
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. clip — to cut
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. present — a gift
  14. cap — a lid
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. clip — a video
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. coach — a trainer

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