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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: chest · drill · saw · deal · chip · mate · can · mark

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. chest — a box
  4. mark — a trace
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mate — to breed
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. drill — army training
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mate — a partner
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chest — of your body
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. deal — to handle
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. chip — for betting

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