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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · court · land · pit · roll · pitch · arm · scale

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. land — to come down
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. court — of law
  5. chip — to eat
  6. land — a country
  7. court — for sport
  8. pit — a hole
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. roll — a cake
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pitch — completely
  19. court — of a king
  20. land — ground
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pit — in a race
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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