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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: face · kid · pitcher · racket · content · sharp · leaves · chip

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. content — happy
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chip — to eat
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. face — to confront
  15. kid — to tease
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. face — part of the head
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. chip — for betting
  20. face — to point toward
  21. sharp — clever
  22. kid — child
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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