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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: mine · date · fine · cell · pitcher · chip · key · bear

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mine — for digging
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fine — high quality
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fine — all right
  20. key — in music
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. key — for a lock
  23. date — the fruit
  24. key — the most important part

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