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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: hide · stick · pitch · club · chip · fine · leaves · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. club — for dancing
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. fine — all right
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cell — in biology
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. chip — for betting
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. club — a group
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. club — for golf
  24. pitch — completely

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