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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: wake · pitch · chip · cabinet · mouse · foot · bowl · saw

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. saw — the tool
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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