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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 116 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. face — part of the head
  3. scale — in music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. deal — to handle
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. court — for sport
  13. fork — in a road
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. face — to confront

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