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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. staff — employees
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. face — to confront
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. staff — employees
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. face — part of the head
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pitch — completely
  24. face — to point toward

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