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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. field — for sport
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a document
  7. face — to confront
  8. file — a tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. scale — size or range
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cue — a signal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. current — electric
  16. cue — a hint
  17. current — happening now
  18. field — farmland
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. field — a subject
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cue — for pool
  24. current — of water

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