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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: pop · track · game · present · face · mate · cabinet · mark

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. face — to confront
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mate — a partner
  7. track — a song
  8. pop — soda
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mark — a grade
  13. present — the time now
  14. track — to keep track
  15. present — there
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. game — a match
  24. present — a gift

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