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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. swing — music
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. ground — a position
  5. last — finally
  6. bat — the animal
  7. swing — to play on
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. swing — in golf
  10. face — part of the head
  11. last — to go on
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stand — to bear
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. face — to confront
  23. toast — bread
  24. last — final

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