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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: object · snap · field · pitcher · deal · chip · bear · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bear — the animal
  3. object — a thing
  4. chip — to eat
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mug — a face
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. mug — to rob
  12. field — a subject
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. object — to protest
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. field — for sport
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. field — farmland
  24. object — an aim

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