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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. track — a song
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bound — certain
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stock — shares
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mug — a face
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. track — a path
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mug — to rob
  16. face — to point toward
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mug — a cup
  21. track — to keep track
  22. tube — a container
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bound — tied together

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