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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: field · saw · pitch · chair · mouse · leaves · chip · march

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chip — to eat
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. march — music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pitch — completely
  21. saw — the tool
  22. field — farmland
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chair — a leader

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