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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pit — a hole
  5. face — to point toward
  6. craft — a skill
  7. spring — the season
  8. present — the time now
  9. bass — low music
  10. firm — steady
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. face — to confront
  16. present — there
  17. spring — of water
  18. firm — decided
  19. spring — a coil
  20. present — a gift
  21. pit — in a race
  22. craft — boats
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bass — the fish

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