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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.

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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bass — the fish
  7. face — part of the head
  8. degree — an amount
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mug — to rob
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bass — low music
  21. mug — a face
  22. march — the month
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. face — to confront

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