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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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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: pop · tube · mark · mug · pitch · chip · date · chest

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pop — soda
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mug — a cup
  9. date — the fruit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pop — music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pitch — completely
  18. tube — the underground
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chest — a box
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pitch — a sports field

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