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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. net — in sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. face — to confront
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pit — a hole
  9. perch — the fish
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. net — after costs
  12. date — the fruit
  13. net — for catching
  14. hand — help
  15. ball — a dance
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. face — to point toward
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ball — a great time
  22. face — part of the head
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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