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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: track · scale · cap · present · face · key · chip · pitcher

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. scale — size or range
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cap — a hat
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. cap — a lid
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. face — to confront
  14. key — for a lock
  15. track — a song
  16. face — part of the head
  17. scale — in music
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. present — there
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chip — for betting

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