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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. face — part of the head
  5. chip — to eat
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. deal — to handle
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rush — hurry
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. game — a match
  17. chip — for betting
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. sharp — clever
  21. face — to confront
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bear — the animal

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