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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: firm · mark · rest · pitcher · craft · hide · tube · chip

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. craft — a skill
  8. chip — to eat
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. tube — the underground
  15. craft — boats
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tube — a container
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chip — for betting
  21. firm — steady
  22. rest — a break
  23. firm — a company
  24. mark — a grade

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