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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pitch — completely
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. charge — electricity
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rash — a series
  10. press — a publisher
  11. scale — in music
  12. press — to push
  13. charge — a price
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rash — hasty
  20. charge — in control
  21. chip — to eat
  22. face — part of the head
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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