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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. staff — employees
  5. face — to confront
  6. pit — in a race
  7. club — a group
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. capital — a city
  10. staff — employees
  11. face — to point toward
  12. club — for golf
  13. present — a gift
  14. club — for dancing
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. track — to keep track
  17. capital — money
  18. track — a song
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pit — a hole
  22. track — a path
  23. face — part of the head
  24. present — the time now

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