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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. face — to point toward
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fork — in a road
  7. march — the month
  8. face — to confront
  9. pop — soda
  10. firm — decided
  11. tube — a container
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. saw — the tool
  17. march — music
  18. bass — low music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. march — the month
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. pop — music

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