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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: game · face · rash · coach · cap · fine · present · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fine — all right
  3. present — there
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rash — a series
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. net — after costs
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. face — part of the head
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fine — high quality
  17. face — to confront
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rash — hasty
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cap — a lid
  22. game — a match
  23. net — in sport
  24. rash — on the skin

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