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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: fine · pass · tube · chip · mine · pitch · deal · chest

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fine — all right
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chest — a box
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. tube — a container
  20. fine — high quality
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fine — a penalty

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