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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ball — a great time
  5. can — a tin
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ground — a position
  9. row — a line
  10. pop — to visit
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pitch — completely
  17. can — a tin
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pop — music
  21. ball — a dance
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pop — soda
  24. pitch — a sports field

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