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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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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 · deal · racket · leaves · ground · season · stick · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. face — to confront
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. deal — to handle
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ground — a position
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ground — the earth
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. season — of the year
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — to point toward
  22. ground — crushed
  23. season — in sport
  24. leaves — lets stay

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