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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. face — to confront
  6. mate — a friend
  7. shower — to wash
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ground — a position
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bank — for money
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. ground — crushed
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bank — for money
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bank — of a river
  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