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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: arm · chip · pitch · kick · pop · court · racket · lie

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lie — to recline
  4. court — of a king
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. court — of law
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. chip — for betting
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pop — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. court — for sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pop — soda
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. kick — in football
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. kick — a thrill

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