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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 120 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: pound · board · pitcher · rash · stand · chest · plane · chip

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. board — to get on
  12. stand — to bear
  13. board — a committee
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. chest — a box
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pound — to hit hard

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