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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 120 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: bowl · cap · ground · cell · board · face · chip · pass

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cap — of ice
  8. face — to confront
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cell — in biology
  11. face — to point toward
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. cap — a hat
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. board — a committee
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. board — to get on
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cell — a phone

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