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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. tube — the underground
  3. face — to confront
  4. rock — music
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bound — tied together
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bound — obliged
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bound — certain
  15. rock — a stone
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. craft — boats
  18. pit — a hole
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. spell — letters
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tube — a container
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rock — to move gently

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