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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 120 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: pit · wake · present · bowl · object · chip · mark · pitcher

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. present — the time now
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. present — a gift
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pit — in a race
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. object — an aim
  22. chip — for betting
  23. present — there
  24. pitcher — a jug

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