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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. face — to point toward
  5. net — for catching
  6. season — in sport
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. net — in sport
  13. face — part of the head
  14. net — after costs
  15. face — to confront
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wound — an injury

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