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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. face — to confront
  8. current — happening now
  9. track — a path
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. track — a song
  13. current — of water
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. current — electric
  19. face — to point toward
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wound — an injury
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. date — on the calendar

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