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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. face — to confront
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stock — shares
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stock — goods
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — a partner
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bank — for money
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chair — a leader

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