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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: fan · present · chip · nail · mate · tear · racket · pitch

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tear — to rip
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitch — completely
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chip — for betting
  17. present — there
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. present — the time now
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. present — a gift
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fan — to cool the air

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