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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. face — part of the head
  3. scale — in music
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. root — of a plant
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. scale — size or range
  21. chip — to eat
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. chair — a leader
  24. jam — a tight spot

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