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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. face — to confront
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. face — part of the head
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fork — in a road
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. face — to point toward
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rash — a series
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rash — hasty
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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