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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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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: chip · pitcher · nail · can · mine · bat · leaves · bass

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. can — a tin
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mine — for digging
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. can — a tin
  18. bass — the fish
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bass — low music
  24. bat — the animal

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