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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: pit · can · club · chair · fine · shower · chip · chest

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pit — a hole
  8. shower — to wash
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chest — a box
  12. can — a tin
  13. club — a group
  14. can — to be able to
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chest — of your body
  20. can — a tin
  21. fine — all right
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. fine — high quality
  24. club — for golf

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