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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. face — to point toward
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. content — happy
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pop — to visit
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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