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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
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: game · chip · pitcher · mug · tube · row · mark · stick

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. chip — to eat
  9. tube — a container
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mug — to rob
  18. tube — the underground
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mug — a face
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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