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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: fork · pit · shower · hide · chip · dip · pitcher · rash

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. shower — rain
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rash — a series
  24. fork — in a road

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