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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 · firm · wave · wind · chip · nail · rest · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. firm — steady
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. firm — decided
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. firm — a company
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rest — a break
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wave — with your hand

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