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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: bay · bear · rush · chest · pitch · chip · racket · content

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rush — hurry
  7. content — the amount
  8. chest — a box
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. content — happy
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. chip — for betting

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