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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mug — to rob
  5. scale — size or range
  6. current — happening now
  7. pitch — completely
  8. face — to point toward
  9. current — electric
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. season — of the year
  13. face — to confront
  14. scale — in music
  15. current — of water
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mug — a face
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. season — in sport

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