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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: hide · pitcher · cue · fan · mine · chip · field · sharp

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chip — for betting
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. chip — to eat
  5. field — farmland
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. field — a subject
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cue — a hint
  18. field — for sport
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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