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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. roll — a list
  5. face — to confront
  6. wake — a trail
  7. race — humankind
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. race — the arms race
  11. chip — to eat
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ground — crushed
  14. face — to point toward
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. race — a contest
  18. ground — a position
  19. roll — a cake
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. ground — the earth

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