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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: cabinet · firm · chip · pitcher · date · rest · rush · shower

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. date — the fruit
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. chip — to eat
  13. firm — steady
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rest — what's left
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rush — to hurry

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