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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: can · pitcher · leaves · face · chip · fan · present · court

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. can — to be able to
  3. face — to confront
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. present — there
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. face — part of the head
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. court — of a king
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. court — of law
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. present — a gift
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. court — for sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. present — the time now
  21. chip — for betting
  22. face — to point toward
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fan — to cool the air

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