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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: pit · fan · mark · firm · last · chip · face · scale

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. scale — size or range
  3. last — to go on
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pit — in a race
  8. face — to point toward
  9. scale — in music
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. face — to confront
  13. last — final
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — a hole
  17. firm — steady
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mark — a grade
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. firm — decided
  23. chip — for betting
  24. firm — a company

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