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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: pitcher · mate · wound · saw · cabinet · bark · chip · rock

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rock — music
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — an injury
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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