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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.

Make a worksheet

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: date · pitcher · hide · chip · root · coach · net · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. root — the cause
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. net — for catching
  12. root — of a plant
  13. net — in sport
  14. root — of a word
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pit — in a race
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. net — after costs
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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