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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 · spring · bat · chip · mate · plane · can · pit

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. can — to be able to
  3. spring — the season
  4. bat — the animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mate — a friend
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. spring — a coil
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. mate — a partner
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bat — in an idiom

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