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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. staff — employees
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bass — low music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. face — to point toward
  7. dip — to sink
  8. face — to confront
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. staff — a stick
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. staff — employees
  24. fork — a garden tool

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