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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 · date · craft · chip · arm · stick · fall · pitcher

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. craft — boats
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. date — the fruit
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fall — to drop
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fall — the season
  16. bat — the animal
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fall — to drop
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. arm — part of the body
  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