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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · present · wound · sharp · pitch · coach · wave · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. present — the time now
  3. wound — an injury
  4. chair — a leader
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. present — a gift
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. present — there
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. sharp — clever
  23. net — after costs
  24. chair — a professorship

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