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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stock — shares
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. track — a song
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mug — a face
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stock — goods
  14. mug — to rob
  15. track — a path
  16. face — to point toward
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. charge — a price
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bass — low music
  22. charge — in control
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wave — of the sea

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