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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: pass · toast · chip · file · pitcher · dip · cell · bear

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. dip — to sink
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. toast — bread
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. file — a document

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