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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: cabinet · chip · march · arm · pitcher · mug · game · face

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. face — part of the head
  3. game — a match
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mug — to rob
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. face — to point toward
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. march — music
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — to confront
  20. chip — for betting
  21. march — the month
  22. mug — a face
  23. march — the month
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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