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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: wound · calf · leaves · board · pop · game · pitch · chip

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. game — a match
  3. pop — music
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. board — to get on
  9. pop — to visit
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. game — wild animals
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pop — soda
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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