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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: pitch · present · racket · chip · fan · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. 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. cell — a phone
  2. present — the time now
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. present — a gift
  5. cell — in biology
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. present — there
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. 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