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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: pit · face · band · mug · season · mark · club · ground

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mark — a trace
  4. face — to confront
  5. band — a ring
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. ground — the earth
  8. band — a music group
  9. mug — a face
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mug — a cup
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mark — a grade
  14. face — to point toward
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. season — in sport
  19. club — for golf
  20. ground — crushed
  21. season — of the year
  22. face — part of the head
  23. ground — a position
  24. season — to add flavour

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