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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.

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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: face · present · dip · stick · game · squash · ball · pit

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. face — to point toward
  4. present — a gift
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. face — to confront
  10. present — the time now
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. squash — to crush
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ball — a dance
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. ball — a great time
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pit — in a race
  24. present — there

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