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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chest — a box
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. face — to point toward
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pitch — completely
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. face — to confront
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitcher — a jug

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