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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: rash · cabinet · chip · pitch · perch · board · field · toast

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rash — a series
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. board — to get on
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. perch — the fish
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. field — for sport
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rash — hasty
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. toast — bread
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. field — a subject
  24. chip — to eat

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