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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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Word bank
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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: face · cue · coach · racket · ground · scale · present · mug

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mug — a face
  5. face — to confront
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ground — a position
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. scale — in music
  11. mug — a cup
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cue — a signal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. present — a gift
  17. face — part of the head
  18. present — there
  19. face — to point toward
  20. ground — the earth
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. present — the time now
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mug — to rob

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