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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 124 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bark — to shout
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. face — to confront
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. present — the time now
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. last — finally
  15. face — to point toward
  16. present — there
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pit — in a race
  22. face — part of the head
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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