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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: pitch · cue · wound · chip · saw · racket · mouse · field

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. saw — the tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cue — a signal
  18. field — a subject
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pitch — completely
  24. racket — a loud noise

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