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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. game — a match
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. scale — in music
  8. lean — thin
  9. land — a country
  10. spell — a short time
  11. land — to come down
  12. spell — letters
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. face — to confront
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pit — a hole
  18. game — wild animals
  19. spell — magic
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lean — to bend
  24. land — ground

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