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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. march — the month
  3. bank — of a river
  4. march — the month
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. face — part of the head
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bark — to shout
  9. file — a document
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. present — a gift
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — there
  17. pop — soda
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. present — the time now
  20. pop — music
  21. file — a tool
  22. face — to confront
  23. bank — for money
  24. march — music

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