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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 116 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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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: dip · deal · stick · mine · court · chip · wound · pitch

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. court — of law
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wound — an injury
  13. court — of a king
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pitch — completely
  19. court — for sport
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. chip — to eat
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. chip — for betting
  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