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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. face — to confront
  5. craft — boats
  6. mark — a trace
  7. game — wild animals
  8. craft — a skill
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. land — a country
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mark — a grade
  14. last — to go on
  15. land — to come down
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. roll — a cake
  20. face — part of the head
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. fine — all right
  23. face — to point toward
  24. land — ground

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