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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · press · tube · suit · coach · pit · last · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. suit — to fit
  3. face — to point toward
  4. last — to go on
  5. face — to confront
  6. pit — a hole
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. last — final
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. press — newspapers
  16. last — finally
  17. suit — in cards
  18. tube — the underground
  19. press — to push
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. face — part of the head
  22. press — a publisher
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. suit — clothes

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