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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. swing — in golf
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. capital — a city
  10. swing — to play on
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. foot — a measure
  14. net — for catching
  15. pass — a permit
  16. shower — to wash
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. swing — music
  19. capital — money
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. face — part of the head
  23. shower — rain
  24. foot — the bottom

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