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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: pitcher · deal · patient · file · trunk · lie · chip · can

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chip — for betting
  5. file — a line of people
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. can — a tin
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chip — to eat
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. file — a tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. file — a document
  17. lie — to recline
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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