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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. face — part of the head
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. track — to keep track
  9. spell — magic
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. squash — to crush
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. face — to confront
  18. squash — the sport
  19. board — a committee
  20. track — a song
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. face — to point toward
  24. spell — letters

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