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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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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: chip · hide · swing · face · pitch · game · nail · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. swing — to play on
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. face — part of the head
  11. swing — music
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. game — wild animals
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. game — a match
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. swing — in golf
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pitch — completely

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