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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. chip — to eat
  3. last — final
  4. fall — to drop
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fall — the season
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. face — to point toward
  10. last — finally
  11. face — to confront
  12. pit — a hole
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pit — in a race
  15. chip — for betting
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. last — to go on
  19. stock — shares
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. fan — to cool the air

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