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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. face — part of the head
  3. charge — a price
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. face — to point toward
  6. race — humankind
  7. net — in sport
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. key — the most important part
  12. race — a contest
  13. key — in music
  14. charge — electricity
  15. present — a gift
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. face — to confront
  18. key — for a lock
  19. present — there
  20. pound — a weight
  21. net — after costs
  22. charge — in control
  23. net — for catching
  24. race — the arms race

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