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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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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: chip · snap · deal · pitcher · track · rest · cell · pitch

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. track — a path
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. track — a song
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rest — what's left
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cell — in biology
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. snap — to click
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rest — a break
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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