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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. face — to confront
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. face — to point toward
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. content — the amount
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fork — in a road
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ball — a great time
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ball — a dance
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. pass — a permit
  24. content — happy

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