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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. face — to confront
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a dance
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fine — all right
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fine — high quality
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bat — the animal
  20. roll — a cake
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. date — on the calendar

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