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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.

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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 · foot · sharp · press · wind · fan · pitch · toast

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. sharp — clever
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. press — newspapers
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. press — a publisher
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. press — to push
  15. wind — moving air
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wind — moving air
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chip — for betting
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. toast — bread
  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