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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. spell — magic
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. face — to confront
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rock — a stone
  9. face — to point toward
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bark — to shout
  15. spell — letters
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rock — music
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rock — to move gently
  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