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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: pitch · present · racket · chip · fan · cell · fine · mark

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. present — a gift
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fine — all right
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fine — high quality
  10. present — there
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cell — a phone
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cell — in biology
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chip — to eat
  24. present — the time now

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