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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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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. club — for golf
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. band — a ring
  8. face — part of the head
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. club — a group
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. face — to confront
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. club — for dancing

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