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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. face — to confront
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. degree — an amount
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. degree — from a university
  14. game — a match
  15. face — to point toward
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chip — to eat

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