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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 116 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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ball — a great time
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pitch — completely
  6. plane — a tool
  7. ball — a dance
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pop — to visit
  17. season — of the year
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pop — music
  21. season — in sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. face — to confront
  24. tube — in a tire

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