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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: bat · file · bear · roll · pitcher · chip · suit · band

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. suit — clothes
  9. file — a line of people
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. roll — a list
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. file — a tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bat — the animal
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. file — a document
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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