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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wound — an injury
  6. current — happening now
  7. face — part of the head
  8. current — electric
  9. rock — a stone
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. current — of water
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rock — music
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. face — to confront
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stem — to come from
  24. chip — in a computer

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