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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: chip · ruler · kick · rash · band · vault · pitch · chair

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. band — a ring
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. rash — a series
  9. band — a music group
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rash — hasty

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