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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: calf · pitch · chip · club · land · bass · pass · mate

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. land — ground
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bass — low music
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. chip — for betting
  15. club — for dancing
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. land — to come down
  22. chip — to eat
  23. land — a country
  24. pass — to succeed

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