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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. court — of law
  3. face — to point toward
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. field — farmland
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rock — music
  8. field — a subject
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rock — a stone
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. court — for sport
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. court — of a king
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. field — for sport
  24. face — to confront

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