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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. clip — a video
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. face — to confront
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitch — completely
  13. can — a tin
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. can — a tin
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. clip — for paper
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. clip — to cut
  24. safe — a strongbox

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