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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bound — obliged
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pit — in a race
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. face — part of the head
  15. scale — in music
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bound — certain
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. face — to confront
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. scale — size or range

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