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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · game · face · pop · chest · track · dip · bear

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. dip — to sink
  4. game — a match
  5. face — part of the head
  6. chest — a box
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pop — soda
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bear — the animal
  11. face — to confront
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. track — to keep track
  15. chest — of your body
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pop — music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bear — the animal
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. pop — to visit

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