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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. race — humankind
  3. fine — high quality
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fine — all right
  6. ground — a position
  7. face — to point toward
  8. ground — crushed
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pitch — completely
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. race — a contest
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. ground — the earth
  24. jam — a tight spot

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