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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pop — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tube — a container
  9. pop — soda
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. face — to confront
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. face — to point toward
  17. board — a committee
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. board — to get on
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pop — to visit
  24. board — a flat piece

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