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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mug — a cup
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — in sport
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. track — a song
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rest — what's left
  11. face — to point toward
  12. track — a path
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mug — a face
  17. game — a match
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. net — for catching
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rest — a break
  23. pit — a hole
  24. net — after costs

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