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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 116 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: dip · field · pitch · pound · chair · branch · tube · kid

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. dip — to sink
  6. kid — child
  7. branch — a division
  8. chair — a leader
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. tube — a container
  11. field — farmland
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pitch — completely
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. field — a subject
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. field — for sport
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. tube — the underground

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