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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · patient · chip · mug · land · perch · ball · lie

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. ball — a dance
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. land — ground
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mug — a face
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. land — to come down
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. land — a country
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mug — to rob
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mug — a cup
  24. ball — a great time

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