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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.

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: pitcher · rash · can · cell · chip · kid · pitch · branch

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pitch — completely
  7. can — a tin
  8. branch — a division
  9. chip — for betting
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. can — a tin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kid — child
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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