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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: foot · cell · pass · face · cap · bowl · charge · chip

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. foot — a measure
  3. chip — to eat
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cap — a lid
  6. face — part of the head
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cap — of ice
  13. charge — a price
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pass — a permit
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. charge — in control
  22. chip — for betting
  23. face — to confront
  24. foot — part of the body

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