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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: pitcher · pass · dip · chest · chip · land · wave · pop

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pop — to visit
  3. land — a country
  4. chest — a box
  5. land — to come down
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. land — ground
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pop — music
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pop — soda
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pass — a permit
  24. dip — to dunk

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