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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. court — for sport
  3. object — to protest
  4. pitch — completely
  5. face — to point toward
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. march — music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. key — the most important part
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. squash — to crush
  16. march — the month
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. object — a thing
  19. dip — to sink
  20. squash — the sport
  21. march — the month
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. object — an aim
  24. dip — to dunk

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