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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. face — to confront
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. board — to get on
  7. bulb — for light
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. face — to point toward
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. scale — size or range
  12. dip — to sink
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. game — a match
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wax — to grow
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. board — a committee
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. face — part of the head
  23. scale — in music
  24. game — wild animals

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