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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: fine · pitcher · row · chip · bear · last · foot · wave

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. last — finally
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. row — to paddle
  7. foot — a measure
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fine — high quality
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bear — the animal
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — final
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. last — to go on
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fine — all right

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