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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ball — a great time
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. kid — child
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. kid — to tease
  10. club — a group
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. face — part of the head
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. club — for dancing
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. club — for golf
  21. vault — a safe
  22. ball — a dance
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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