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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: lash · pitch · content · mug · arm · branch · chip · chair

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mug — a face
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. branch — a division
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chip — to eat
  8. content — the amount
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pitch — completely
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. branch — of a bank

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