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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bear — the animal
  4. court — of a king
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. staff — a stick
  8. perch — the fish
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. sharp — clever
  14. face — to point toward
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. court — of law
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. court — for sport
  19. face — part of the head
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. staff — employees
  22. face — to confront
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wake — a trail

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