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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pop — music
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. present — the time now
  9. swing — music
  10. face — to confront
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. present — a gift
  13. game — a match
  14. pop — soda
  15. present — there
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

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