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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: field · pitch · club · court · chip · mate · charge · cabinet

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mate — a friend
  3. field — for sport
  4. mate — a partner
  5. court — for sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pitch — completely
  11. field — a subject
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. club — for golf
  14. charge — in control
  15. club — a group
  16. mate — to breed
  17. field — farmland
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. court — of law
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. court — of a king
  23. charge — a price
  24. club — for dancing

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