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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: racket · chip · ball · wind · press · mug · pitch · field

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. field — farmland
  4. wind — moving air
  5. field — for sport
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. chip — for betting
  8. field — a subject
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. press — newspapers
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wind — moving air
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pitch — completely

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