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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.

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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: mate · pop · bay · face · ball · bat · pit · stand

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pit — a hole
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pop — music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. face — to confront
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bat — the animal

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