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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 120 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: hand · pass · court · land · chip · pitch · can · mark

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. can — to be able to
  6. court — of law
  7. chip — to eat
  8. hand — in cards
  9. land — ground
  10. land — a country
  11. chip — for betting
  12. court — of a king
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hand — help
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mark — a grade
  18. land — to come down
  19. can — a tin
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — for sport
  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