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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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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 · cap · stick · board · chip · scale · mate · mouse

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mate — to breed
  10. board — to get on
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. board — a committee
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mate — a friend
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cap — a hat
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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