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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pop — soda
  3. game — a match
  4. bear — the animal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pop — music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. key — in music
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bear — the animal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. face — to confront
  22. stock — shares
  23. pop — to visit
  24. lean — thin

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