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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: sharp · can · ruler · chip · kid · pop · cold · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. kid — to tease
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pop — to visit
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cold — not warm
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pop — soda
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pop — music
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. kid — child
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pitch — completely
  20. sharp — clever
  21. chip — to eat
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cold — an illness

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