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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. face — part of the head
  4. game — a match
  5. tube — the underground
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. face — to confront
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rock — music
  16. tube — a container
  17. game — wild animals
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. chip — for betting
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. face — to point toward
  24. straw — a straw man

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