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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cue — a hint
  3. face — to point toward
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pitch — completely
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. game — a match
  9. cue — a signal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cue — for pool
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bark — to shout
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. face — to confront
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. charge — a price
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. game — wild animals

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