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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. face — to confront
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mug — a face
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rest — what's left
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mug — a cup
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. staff — employees
  14. rest — a break
  15. cap — a lid
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mug — to rob
  20. game — a match
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. staff — employees
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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