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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 120 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: squash · saw · land · pitch · key · chip · can · game

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. land — ground
  4. saw — the tool
  5. squash — the sport
  6. game — wild animals
  7. saw — the tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. land — a country
  10. game — a match
  11. squash — to crush
  12. chip — to eat
  13. land — to come down
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. can — a tin
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chip — for betting
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. chip — in a computer

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