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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. squash — the sport
  3. scale — in music
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cap — a hat
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. face — to confront
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. squash — to crush
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fine — all right
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cap — a lid
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fine — high quality
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. deal — to handle

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