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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — part of the head
  3. net — for catching
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. staff — a stick
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fine — all right
  8. staff — employees
  9. pit — a hole
  10. net — after costs
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. staff — employees
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. face — to point toward
  16. game — a match
  17. pit — in a race
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ball — a great time
  21. net — in sport
  22. fine — high quality
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ball — a round shape

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