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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. face — to confront
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. season — in sport
  12. face — to point toward
  13. season — of the year
  14. capital — a city
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cap — of ice
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. capital — money

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