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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 124 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bank — for money
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. pitch — completely
  7. current — of water
  8. ground — crushed
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bank — for money
  11. pop — soda
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bank — of a river
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pop — music
  21. current — happening now
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. ground — a position
  24. current — electric

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