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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bank — for money
  4. mug — a face
  5. face — to confront
  6. wound — an injury
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bank — of a river
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bank — for money
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ball — a great time
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pit — a hole
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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