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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 · ground · rule · sharp · land · lean · chip · tube

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. tube — the underground
  5. land — ground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lean — to bend
  9. tube — a container
  10. land — a country
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. land — to come down
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. lean — thin
  20. rule — government
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rule — a law
  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