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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.

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: face · present · perch · bound · pit · racket · season · rush

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bound — obliged
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — certain
  6. present — the time now
  7. face — to point toward
  8. season — in sport
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. season — of the year
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bound — tied together
  15. present — a gift
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. face — to confront
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. face — part of the head
  22. present — there
  23. perch — the fish
  24. racket — for tennis

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