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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
468
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 · hand · chip · wave · fork · squash · date

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. hand — in cards
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. date — the fruit
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. squash — the sport
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fork — in a road
  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