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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: bank · cabinet · date · lie · swing · pitcher · pass · chip

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. swing — in golf
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. chip — to eat
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bank — for money
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bank — for money
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. date — the fruit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. swing — music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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