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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: game · mark · chip · stick · mug · object · pitcher · craft

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mark — a grade
  3. craft — a skill
  4. object — a thing
  5. game — a match
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mug — to rob
  10. object — to protest
  11. mug — a face
  12. object — an aim
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. craft — boats
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mug — a cup

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