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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · suit · stand · object · land · chip · spring · cold

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. object — an aim
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. spring — of water
  6. suit — to fit
  7. object — a thing
  8. cold — an illness
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cold — not warm
  19. object — to protest
  20. spring — the season
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. land — a country
  23. chip — to eat
  24. suit — in cards

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