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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 120 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: chip · pitcher · mug · stand · chest · bore · arm · cap

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chest — a box
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mug — a cup
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mug — a face
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. arm — a part of something

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