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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. face — to confront
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. face — to point toward
  5. march — the month
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. march — music
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stock — goods
  13. march — the month
  14. cap — of ice
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bank — for money
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stock — shares
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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