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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: chip · stem · court · pitch · kid · dip · rush · game

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitch — completely
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. court — of law
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chip — to eat
  12. court — of a king
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. court — for sport
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rush — hurry

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