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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 116 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: face · stem · drill · pit · leaves · racket · ball · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chip — for betting
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stem — to come from
  9. drill — the tool
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. drill — army training
  12. ball — a great time
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ball — a dance
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pit — in a race
  22. chip — to eat
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. face — to confront

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