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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 120 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: bound · band · pitch · wake · chip · plane · nail · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. band — a music group
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bound — certain
  13. chip — for betting
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. firm — steady
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. firm — a company
  24. band — a ring

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