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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cap — a hat
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ball — a dance
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. net — for catching
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. scale — in music
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. season — in sport
  23. face — to confront
  24. cap — a lid

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