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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.

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 · game · stick · face · stem · drill · pitcher · court

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. court — of a king
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. chip — to eat
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chip — for betting
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — to point toward
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. court — of law
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. court — for sport
  19. face — part of the head
  20. game — a match
  21. face — to confront
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. drill — army training
  24. pitcher — a jug

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