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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: staff · wave · racket · pit · face · arm · chip · date

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pit — a hole
  3. face — to point toward
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chip — for betting
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. face — part of the head
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. staff — employees
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pit — in a race
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. face — to confront
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. staff — employees

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