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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. face — to point toward
  9. season — of the year
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bank — for money
  12. shower — rain
  13. bank — for money
  14. shower — to wash
  15. face — to confront
  16. bank — of a river
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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