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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. net — after costs
  3. can — a tin
  4. bat — the animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. face — to point toward
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cue — for pool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mug — a face
  24. fan — a supporter

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