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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pit — in a race
  3. game — a match
  4. object — an aim
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. can — a tin
  7. bass — low music
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pit — a hole
  10. can — a tin
  11. board — to get on
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. face — to confront
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. face — to point toward
  19. game — wild animals
  20. board — a committee
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lean — thin
  24. face — part of the head

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