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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: chip · field · pop · chest · coach · pitch · suit · bay

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chest — of your body
  6. field — a subject
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pop — music
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. suit — to fit
  14. field — farmland
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pitch — completely
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chest — a box
  24. coach — a trainer

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