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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rush — hurry
  6. face — to confront
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stock — goods
  18. scale — size or range
  19. face — part of the head
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pass — to succeed

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