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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 · dip · saw · lie · fine · pitch · drill · ball

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. fine — all right
  8. chip — to eat
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitch — completely
  15. drill — army training
  16. dip — to sink
  17. ball — a great time
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fine — high quality

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