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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. face — to confront
  12. degree — temperature
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. face — part of the head
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. degree — an amount
  20. chip — to eat
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. degree — from a university
  24. ground — a position

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