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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. ground — a position
  5. face — to confront
  6. track — to keep track
  7. saw — the tool
  8. track — a path
  9. rest — what's left
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pop — music
  12. track — a song
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. face — to point toward
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ground — the earth
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. staff — employees
  20. ground — crushed
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. rest — a break
  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