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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. lie — to recline
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. capital — a city
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. capital — money
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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