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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stock — goods
  8. face — part of the head
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. file — a line of people
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. file — a document
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. file — a tool
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stock — shares
  22. face — to confront
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mine — an explosive

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