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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 116 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: cabinet · drill · chip · lie · mark · pound · stick · pitcher

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pound — a weight
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lie — to recline
  23. drill — army training
  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