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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fall — to drop
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. field — for sport
  7. fall — the season
  8. face — part of the head
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. field — farmland
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. capital — a city
  15. field — a subject
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. face — to confront
  20. fall — to drop
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. capital — money
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitch — a sports field

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