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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · stand · face · degree · bore · racket · bay · pitcher

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. season — of the year
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. season — in sport
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. degree — temperature
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bore — to tire
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. degree — from a university
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. degree — an amount
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. face — part of the head

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