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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rash — hasty
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. face — part of the head
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. capital — a city
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rash — a series
  17. perch — the fish
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. swing — music
  21. capital — money
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cabinet — ministers

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