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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. shower — rain
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ball — a dance
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. face — to confront
  16. mark — a grade
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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