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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: pitcher · cap · trunk · dip · firm · staff · fan · chip

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cap — of ice
  4. staff — employees
  5. dip — to sink
  6. firm — decided
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. firm — a company
  9. cap — a lid
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. staff — employees
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cap — a hat
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. firm — steady
  22. chip — for betting
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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