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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: chest · pitch · plane · prune · rock · rush · chip · mug

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. pitch — completely
  3. plane — a tool
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rock — a stone
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chest — a box
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rush — hurry
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rock — music
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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