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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pop — music
  4. race — a contest
  5. land — a country
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. charge — a price
  9. land — to come down
  10. race — the arms race
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. charge — in control
  14. race — humankind
  15. land — ground
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ball — a great time
  20. game — a match
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pop — soda
  24. face — part of the head

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