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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. content — the amount
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bass — the fish
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pit — in a race
  8. face — to confront
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bass — low music
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. swing — to play on
  16. ball — a dance
  17. swing — music
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. content — happy
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chip — for betting
  24. swing — in golf

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