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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: can · deal · tear · pitcher · chip · shower · bulb · track

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tear — from crying
  5. track — a song
  6. shower — rain
  7. track — a path
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. can — a tin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. deal — to handle
  15. track — to keep track
  16. chip — for betting
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. can — a tin
  21. chip — to eat
  22. tear — to rip
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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