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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
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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 · season · mine · bay · chip · firm · court · can

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. firm — a company
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. court — of law
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. firm — decided
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. season — in sport
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. court — of a king
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. season — of the year
  16. court — for sport
  17. can — a tin
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mine — for digging
  24. firm — steady

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