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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: current · chip · sharp · pitch · spell · face · hide · swing

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. current — of water
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pitch — completely
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chip — to eat
  8. face — to confront
  9. current — electric
  10. spell — a short time
  11. chip — for betting
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — clever
  18. face — part of the head
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. face — to point toward
  22. current — happening now
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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