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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. vault — a safe
  4. row — to paddle
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. net — for catching
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ground — crushed
  11. net — after costs
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. net — in sport
  16. pitch — completely
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. ground — a position
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pass — a permit
  24. row — a line

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