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

Word bank: firm · rock · net · track · pitcher · chip · cap · pit

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rock — music
  10. chip — to eat
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rock — a stone
  15. firm — decided
  16. net — for catching
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. net — after costs
  19. pit — in a race
  20. track — a path
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. firm — steady
  23. net — in sport
  24. pit — a hole

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