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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pit — in a race
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bass — low music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. squash — the sport
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rock — music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bass — the fish
  20. face — to confront
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bass — the instrument

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