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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. face — to point toward
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rest — a break
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. chip — for betting
  15. band — a ring
  16. rest — what's left
  17. face — to confront
  18. deal — to handle

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