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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. track — a song
  5. face — part of the head
  6. track — a path
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. track — to keep track
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. face — to confront
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rush — hurry
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lie — an untruth

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