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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: prune · drill · bulb · pitcher · chip · deal · chest · hide

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chip — to eat
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. deal — to handle
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chest — a box
  10. prune — to trim
  11. drill — army training
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. prune — the fruit

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