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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.

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: plane · pitcher · cabinet · pitch · hide · bear · chip · rash

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rash — a series
  24. plane — in geometry

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