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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pop — music
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. net — for catching
  7. face — to confront
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pop — to visit
  12. face — part of the head
  13. net — in sport
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pop — soda
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. stand — to bear
  20. net — after costs
  21. face — to point toward
  22. suit — in cards
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. scale — in music

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