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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. court — of law
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. face — to confront
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. chest — a box
  11. cap — a lid
  12. court — for sport
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cap — a hat
  17. court — of a king
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. cap — of ice

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