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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: pitch · board · ground · fine · pound · chip · can · land

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fine — all right
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fine — high quality
  5. board — a committee
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. can — to be able to
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. can — a tin
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. land — ground
  16. can — a tin
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. board — to get on

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