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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. chip — for betting
  3. firm — steady
  4. face — part of the head
  5. firm — a company
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. march — the month
  8. rock — a stone
  9. tube — a container
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rock — music
  14. court — for sport
  15. face — to confront
  16. march — music
  17. court — of law
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. face — to point toward
  23. march — the month
  24. court — of a king

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