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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. face — to confront
  3. present — the time now
  4. object — a thing
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. vault — a safe
  8. face — part of the head
  9. present — there
  10. object — an aim
  11. land — ground
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. track — to keep track
  14. present — a gift
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. face — to point toward
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. track — a path
  23. object — to protest
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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