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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. face — to point toward
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rest — what's left
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. key — for a lock
  12. face — to confront
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. chair — a leader
  18. key — in music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rest — a break
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. chip — for betting

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