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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · present · pitch · ruler · rock · coach · face · racket

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. face — to point toward
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. last — finally
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. present — there
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. last — to go on
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. present — a gift
  19. rock — music
  20. present — the time now
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitch — completely
  24. racket — for tennis

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