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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. field — for sport
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wound — an injury
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. field — a subject
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rock — music
  21. field — farmland
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pit — a hole
  24. coach — a trainer

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