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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. season — of the year
  8. cap — a hat
  9. net — in sport
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. present — there
  12. cap — a lid
  13. present — the time now
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. can — a tin
  18. season — in sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. present — a gift
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. can — to be able to
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pitcher — a jug

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