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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 · court · press · ground · bat · calf · pass · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ground — a position
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ground — crushed
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. press — to push
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. pitch — completely
  22. ground — the earth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. court — for sport

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