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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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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 sports field
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. key — for a lock
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spell — magic
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ball — a dance
  11. key — in music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ball — a great time
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pitch — completely
  17. key — the most important part
  18. spell — letters
  19. sharp — clever
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bowl — a football final

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