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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pit — in a race
  3. chip — for betting
  4. dip — to sink
  5. spell — letters
  6. face — to confront
  7. ground — crushed
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ground — the earth
  10. spell — magic
  11. pop — music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. ground — a position
  15. pop — soda
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pop — to visit
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bear — the animal

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