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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: net · chip · pitch · straw · patient · pound · mouse · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pound — a weight
  8. chip — for betting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. net — after costs
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pitch — completely
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. branch — a division
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. mouse — the animal

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