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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: track · mate · bound · chip · fan · hand · sharp · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bound — tied together
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mate — to breed
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mate — a friend
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mate — a partner
  15. track — to keep track
  16. chip — for betting
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. hand — help
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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