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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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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 · date · wake · net · ruler · cap · pitch · face

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. date — the fruit
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. net — for catching
  7. face — to confront
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitch — completely
  19. face — to point toward
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. cap — a hat
  23. face — part of the head
  24. chip — in a computer

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