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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 116 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
468
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: face · content · fan · coach · pitch · chip · capital · rule

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. capital — a city
  3. content — happy
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. face — to point toward
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rule — a law
  15. chip — to eat
  16. face — to confront
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. capital — money
  21. chip — for betting
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rule — government
  24. face — part of the head

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