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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. track — a song
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. firm — a company
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mark — a grade
  14. face — to point toward
  15. track — a path
  16. land — to come down
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. firm — steady
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. firm — decided
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. land — a country
  24. pitch — completely

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