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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. mug — a cup
  5. game — a match
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mug — a face
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fine — all right
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pitch — completely
  21. fine — high quality
  22. tear — from crying
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cue — a hint

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