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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. season — in sport
  3. rock — music
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pass — a permit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. race — humankind
  11. rock — a stone
  12. race — the arms race
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. race — a contest
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. face — to point toward
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. court — of law
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. court — of a king
  21. season — of the year
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. court — for sport

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