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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: coach · cue · race · chip · ball · pitch · chest · dip

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ball — a dance
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cue — a hint
  12. ball — a great time
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chip — for betting
  15. race — a contest
  16. cue — for pool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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