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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: wind · row · ball · calf · pitch · chip · charge · pit

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. ball — a dance
  4. charge — electricity
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pit — in a race
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. row — to paddle
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitch — completely
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pit — a hole
  18. charge — a price
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. row — a line
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. row — a quarrel
  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