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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 120 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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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: drill · pitcher · season · snap · bay · deal · mate · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. season — of the year
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mate — to breed
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. snap — to click
  15. mate — a partner
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. season — in sport
  19. drill — army training
  20. chip — for betting
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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