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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: march · chip · kick · stick · pitch · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. march — music
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bank — for money
  10. march — the month
  11. pitch — completely
  12. kick — in football
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. march — the month
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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