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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. kid — child
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ground — a position
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rock — a stone
  15. craft — boats
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rock — music
  23. ground — crushed
  24. chest — of your body

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