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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rest — what's left
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cap — a hat
  7. face — to confront
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. track — a path
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. track — a song
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rest — a break
  15. net — for catching
  16. rest — what's left
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. net — after costs
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. scale — in music

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