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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.

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: chip · chest · pitcher · face · root · hand · jam · object

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. object — an aim
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. hand — help
  6. face — to confront
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. root — the cause
  9. chip — to eat
  10. face — part of the head
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. root — of a word
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chest — a box
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. root — of a plant
  18. object — a thing
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chest — of your body
  21. object — to protest
  22. chest — of your body
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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