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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: rock · chair · pitch · pop · fan · club · bank · wave

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. club — for dancing
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. bank — of a river
  17. club — for golf
  18. rock — music
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pop — to visit
  23. club — a group
  24. fan — to cool the 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