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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 · nail · stand · spell · cue · present · pitch · wind

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. spell — magic
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stand — to bear
  7. chip — to eat
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. present — there
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chip — for betting

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