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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. court — for sport
  7. pop — to visit
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wound — an injury
  13. court — of law
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pop — music
  18. court — of a king
  19. chip — for betting
  20. face — to confront
  21. rock — a stone
  22. face — to point toward
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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