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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 116 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 · band · pit · pass · cabinet · chair · kick · branch

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pit — in a race
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pass — a permit
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. kick — in football
  14. chip — for betting
  15. branch — a division
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pit — a hole
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. chair — a professorship

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