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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · ball · pitch · game · mug · can · degree · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. degree — temperature
  10. can — a tin
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pitch — completely
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — a match
  15. mug — a cup
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mug — a face
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. degree — from a university
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wake — a trail
  24. degree — an amount

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