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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. board — a committee
  4. pop — soda
  5. roll — a cake
  6. chip — for betting
  7. board — to get on
  8. pop — music
  9. face — part of the head
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bass — the fish
  12. roll — a list
  13. face — to point toward
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. net — after costs
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. net — in sport
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. net — for catching
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bass — low music

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