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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: bore · fan · can · pitch · toast · mate · chip · rash

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. mate — to breed
  3. can — a tin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mate — a friend
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rash — hasty
  9. chip — to eat
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mate — a partner
  18. can — to be able to
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rash — a series
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. can — a tin
  24. rash — on the skin

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