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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. scale — size or range
  7. hand — help
  8. bass — low music
  9. firm — decided
  10. scale — in music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rock — a stone
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rock — music
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. firm — a company
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. firm — steady
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. face — to confront

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