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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: present · fan · spring · date · chip · bowl · pitcher · mug

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. present — the time now
  2. chip — for betting
  3. present — there
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spring — the season
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spring — of water
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mug — a face
  16. spring — a coil
  17. present — a gift
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mug — a cup
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mug — to rob
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. date — the fruit
  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