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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. face — to confront
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pop — soda
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chip — for betting
  10. face — part of the head
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. squash — to crush
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pop — music
  22. staff — employees
  23. squash — the sport
  24. face — to point toward

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