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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: chip · can · hide · bore · season · pitcher · bark · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bore — to tire
  3. can — a tin
  4. season — of the year
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. season — in sport
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bore — to drill
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. can — to be able to
  24. hide — to keep secret

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