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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: can · foot · charge · roll · chip · face · dip · pitcher

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. chip — to eat
  4. charge — in control
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — to be able to
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. chip — for betting
  10. can — a tin
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. charge — electricity
  13. face — to confront
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. roll — a list
  18. face — to point toward
  19. charge — a price
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. dip — to sink
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. can — a tin

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