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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: bay · nail · tube · chip · rush · hand · pitch · chair

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rush — hurry
  12. tube — the underground
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. chair — a leader
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pitch — a sports field

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