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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. face — to point toward
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. face — to confront
  6. charge — a price
  7. staff — a stick
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. content — the amount
  13. ball — a great time
  14. staff — employees
  15. ball — a dance
  16. content — happy
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitch — completely
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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