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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rock — music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. face — to confront
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. game — wild animals
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rock — a stone

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