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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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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: fork · cap · pitcher · hide · pound · mark · chip · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. cap — a lid
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mark — a grade
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fork — in a road
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cap — of ice
  19. shower — rain
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mark — a trace

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