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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pit — a hole
  5. scale — in music
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pit — in a race
  10. face — to point toward
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. firm — steady
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. content — happy
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. scale — size or range
  19. content — the amount
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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