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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pitch — completely
  10. face — part of the head
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. face — to confront
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. craft — boats
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. craft — a skill
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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