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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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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: charge · bass · chip · nail · pitch · branch · board · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. board — a committee
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. charge — electricity
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. charge — in control
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitch — completely
  10. charge — a price
  11. bass — low music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. branch — a division
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rash — a series
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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