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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. pop — soda
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rash — a series
  4. cold — not warm
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cold — an illness
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pop — music
  9. chip — for betting
  10. face — to confront
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mug — a cup
  16. face — to point toward
  17. chip — to eat
  18. foot — a measure
  19. mug — a face
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mug — to rob
  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