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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · racket · chip · sharp · pit · season · ground · straw

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. ground — a position
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pitch — completely
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. season — in sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. ground — crushed
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. season — of the year
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pit — a hole
  22. chip — for betting
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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