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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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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: present · face · calf · mate · cue · hand · chip · pit

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. face — to confront
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cue — a signal
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pit — a hole
  10. present — the time now
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mate — a partner
  13. present — a gift
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. face — part of the head
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. present — there
  20. mate — to breed
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. face — to point toward
  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