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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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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. face — to confront
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. current — electric
  7. pitch — completely
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rest — a break
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. current — of water
  18. spell — magic
  19. face — part of the head
  20. current — happening now
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. spell — letters
  24. rest — what's left

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