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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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468
Word bank
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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pitch — completely
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. craft — boats
  15. tear — from crying
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bass — low music
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. face — to point toward
  24. tear — to rip

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