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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · chip · mark · cold · dip · pitcher

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mark — a trace
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cold — an illness
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cold — not warm

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