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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stock — shares
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cue — a hint
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. face — to confront
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. bulb — for light

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