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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: chip · pitch · deal · patient · chest · lean · mate · mug

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mug — a face
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mate — a partner
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mate — a friend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chest — a box
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mug — a cup
  19. deal — to handle
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mug — to rob
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pitch — a sports field

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