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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · sharp · pitch · racket · patient · bank · shower · bark

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. sharp — clever
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bark — to shout
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bank — of a river
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bank — for money
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. shower — rain
  18. pitch — completely
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bank — for money
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. shower — to wash

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