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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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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: club · chair · kick · pitch · pit · court · chip · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. club — for golf
  3. court — of a king
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. kick — in football
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pit — in a race
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. board — a committee
  17. court — of law
  18. chip — to eat
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pit — a hole
  21. chair — a leader
  22. court — for sport
  23. club — a group
  24. board — to get on

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