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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: race · wave · dip · staff · bound · hand · wake · pitch

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wake — a trail
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. staff — a stick
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. hand — help
  20. bound — certain
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. race — a contest
  24. pitch — completely

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