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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: file · tube · chip · fan · pitcher · present · kid · fork

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. kid — to tease
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fork — in a road
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. file — a document
  10. chip — to eat
  11. file — a tool
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. present — there
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. present — the time now
  18. tube — a container
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. file — a line of people
  21. present — a gift
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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