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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 120 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: game · net · mug · racket · face · wax · ruler · pit

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. net — for catching
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wax — to grow
  5. game — a match
  6. net — after costs
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. face — part of the head
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. face — to confront
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. net — in sport
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pit — in a race
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mug — a face

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