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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.

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: jam · chip · nail · lash · date · pitcher · cell · field

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cell — in biology
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chip — for betting
  11. field — farmland
  12. cell — a phone
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. date — the fruit
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. jam — a tight spot

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