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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: pit · staff · squash · face · track · net · ball · lie

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. face — part of the head
  3. track — to keep track
  4. face — to point toward
  5. net — in sport
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lie — to recline
  8. track — a path
  9. pit — a hole
  10. net — after costs
  11. staff — employees
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. squash — to crush
  15. ball — a great time
  16. net — for catching
  17. face — to confront
  18. track — a song
  19. staff — employees
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. staff — a stick
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. ball — a dance

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