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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: fine · firm · face · capital · chip · nail · fork · band

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. chip — to eat
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. firm — decided
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. fine — high quality
  10. band — a music group
  11. firm — steady
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. band — a ring
  14. chip — for betting
  15. firm — a company
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fine — all right
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. face — to confront
  24. capital — a big letter

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