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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: field · net · safe · stock · pitch · kick · spell · chip

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chip — for betting
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stock — shares
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. chip — to eat
  12. net — for catching
  13. spell — magic
  14. net — after costs
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stock — goods
  17. field — farmland
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. net — in sport
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — in football
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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