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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. capital — money
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. face — to confront
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. face — to point toward
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stand — to bear

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