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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: chest · date · pitcher · ground · deal · rest · mate · suit

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. chest — a box
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rest — a break
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mate — to breed
  9. date — the fruit
  10. mate — a partner
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. ground — the earth
  13. suit — to fit
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rest — what's left
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mate — a friend
  21. ground — a position
  22. chest — of your body
  23. suit — in cards
  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