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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: pitch · chest · toast · sharp · chip · cabinet · kick · leaves

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. chest — a box
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pitch — completely
  11. sharp — clever
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. kick — in football
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. leaves — to go away

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