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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.

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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 · chip · band · pass · object · pound · snap · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. chip — for betting
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. band — a ring
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. object — a thing
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. band — a music group
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. court — for sport
  20. snap — to click
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pass — a permit

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