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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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. field — a subject
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mug — a face
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. field — farmland
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. charge — a price
  11. field — for sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bore — to tire
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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