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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: sharp · bay · face · racket · swing · ball · ground · chest

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. face — part of the head
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. swing — to play on
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. swing — music
  7. face — to point toward
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. sharp — clever
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ball — a dance
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ground — the earth
  16. face — to confront
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ground — a position
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ball — a round shape
  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