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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · chip · pitcher · deal · bark · fan · tube · rest

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. chip — for betting
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tube — a container
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rest — a break
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — of a tree

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