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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. face — to confront
  3. mate — to breed
  4. squash — the sport
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. net — for catching
  16. rash — hasty
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rash — a series
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. squash — to crush
  21. net — in sport
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. net — after costs
  24. toast — bread

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