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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. face — part of the head
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pit — a hole
  12. face — to confront
  13. rush — hurry
  14. toast — bread
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. chip — to eat
  24. track — to keep track

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