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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 120 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. file — a document
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. face — to confront
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. file — a tool
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pitch — completely
  24. hand — help

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