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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: date · chip · hide · staff · mug · arm · capital · pitcher

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. capital — money
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. date — the fruit
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. chip — for betting
  11. staff — a stick
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mug — a face
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chip — to eat
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. capital — a city
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mug — a cup

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