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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. face — to confront
  4. mate — a friend
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitch — completely
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bulb — for light
  18. can — a tin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mate — to breed
  24. can — a tin

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