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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 124 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. face — to confront
  3. pop — music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. root — the cause
  6. season — in sport
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pop — soda
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. suit — in cards
  13. file — a document
  14. suit — to fit
  15. game — wild animals
  16. face — to point toward
  17. file — a tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. season — of the year
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pop — to visit

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