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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chip · land · pitcher · pit · suit · squash · rest · fine

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. chip — to eat
  12. land — to come down
  13. pit — in a race
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rest — what's left
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fine — high quality
  18. land — ground
  19. squash — to crush
  20. suit — clothes
  21. fine — all right
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rest — a break

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