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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: pit · wound · chip · present · lie · chest · scale · jam

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. scale — in music
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. present — the time now
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. chip — for betting
  14. scale — size or range
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pit — a hole
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. chest — a box
  24. jam — in traffic

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