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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. game — a match
  2. track — a song
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. firm — steady
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. face — to point toward
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. firm — decided
  13. pass — a permit
  14. track — a path
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. face — to confront
  17. track — to keep track
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. firm — a company
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. capital — a city
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. capital — money
  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