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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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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 · track · face · pitch · tube · charge · bore · mug

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. face — part of the head
  3. charge — in control
  4. tube — a container
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bore — to tire
  7. face — to confront
  8. chip — to eat
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. mug — a face
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. track — a path
  19. pitch — completely
  20. face — to point toward
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mug — to rob
  24. chip — for betting

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