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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: pitcher · chip · fork · date · craft · pop · dip · coach

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pop — music
  5. dip — to sink
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. craft — boats
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fork — in a road
  13. craft — a skill
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. chip — to eat
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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