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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: pitcher · lie · date · nail · stick · chip · pass · trunk

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pass — a permit
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. date — on the calendar

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