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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: pitch · cell · march · club · chip · rash · cue · rest

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rest — a break
  3. march — the month
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rash — a series
  8. cell — a phone
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. march — the month
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rash — hasty
  17. club — for golf
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. club — a group
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cue — a hint
  22. chip — to eat
  23. march — music
  24. chip — for betting

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