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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. ground — a position
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. face — part of the head
  11. fine — all right
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — of a river
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bank — for money
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bank — for money
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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