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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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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: chip · wave · rock · pitch · file · ground · arm · saw

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rock — a stone
  3. file — a document
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. file — a tool
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. ground — crushed
  12. chip — for betting
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ground — a position
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chip — to eat
  23. file — a line of people
  24. ground — the earth

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