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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: date · bark · pitcher · drill · jam · bear · racket · chip

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. chip — for betting
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bark — to shout
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bear — the animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. drill — the tool
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. drill — army training
  20. bear — the animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. chip — to eat

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