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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. date — the fruit
  3. march — music
  4. chip — to eat
  5. march — the month
  6. squash — the sport
  7. object — a thing
  8. squash — to crush
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. face — part of the head
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. object — an aim
  15. stock — shares
  16. march — the month
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. object — to protest
  24. face — to confront

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