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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 · content · stand · chip · bound · deal · tear · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. content — happy
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. tear — from crying
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chip — for betting
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bound — obliged
  13. deal — to handle
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitch — completely
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. content — the amount
  21. bound — certain
  22. chip — to eat
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bound — tied together

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