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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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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 · chip · fall · root · game · squash · cue · rest

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rest — a break
  3. game — a match
  4. root — of a plant
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. squash — the sport
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cue — a signal
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fall — the season
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rest — what's left
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rest — what's left

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