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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: chip · content · dip · rest · cabinet · foot · pitcher · chest

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rest — a break
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chest — a box
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. content — the amount
  16. dip — to sink
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rest — what's left
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chip — in a computer

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