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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: branch · chip · pitch · staff · pitcher · shower · saw · bay

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. branch — a division
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitch — completely
  11. saw — the tool
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. staff — employees
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. staff — a stick
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. chip — to eat
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. staff — employees
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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