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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
468
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: mouse · pitch · fork · season · chip · swing · fan · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. game — a match
  7. swing — to play on
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. season — in sport
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. swing — music
  19. fork — in a road
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. season — of the year
  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