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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: arm · bore · chip · mouse · craft · fall · pitcher · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fall — the season
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chip — to eat

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