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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. present — there
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. face — to point toward
  10. spring — of water
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pitch — completely
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. spring — the season
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. face — to confront
  24. mouse — for a computer

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