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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 116 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: chip · pitcher · deal · stick · bark · cap · wound · track

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chip — to eat
  5. track — a song
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — for betting
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. track — to keep track
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cap — a lid
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bark — to shout
  20. track — a path
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cap — of ice

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