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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: chip · march · pitcher · bat · bulb · fork · craft · object

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. craft — boats
  5. object — an aim
  6. march — the month
  7. object — to protest
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. march — music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. object — a thing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. march — the month
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fork — in a road
  24. craft — a handicraft

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