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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: chest · pitch · bound · mate · firm · wound · toast · fan

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chest — a box
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chest — of your body
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. mate — a friend
  11. firm — steady
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. toast — bread
  24. bound — certain

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