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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stock — goods
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. scale — in music
  7. stock — shares
  8. chip — to eat
  9. face — to confront
  10. last — final
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. last — finally
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. last — to go on
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pass — to succeed

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