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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. court — of law
  4. charge — electricity
  5. squash — the sport
  6. charge — a price
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. charge — in control
  9. pit — in a race
  10. face — to point toward
  11. court — of a king
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pit — a hole
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. face — part of the head
  18. court — for sport

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