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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 120 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: board · pitcher · spring · saw · chip · cabinet · pitch · cell

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. board — a committee
  3. spring — of water
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chip — for betting
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spring — the season
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pitch — completely
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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