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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. net — after costs
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pop — soda
  5. face — to confront
  6. net — in sport
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pit — a hole
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pit — in a race
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chest — of your body
  14. present — the time now
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. chest — a box
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. net — for catching
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. present — there
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. racket — for tennis

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