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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. game — a match
  4. perch — the fish
  5. swing — music
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pitch — completely
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. face — part of the head
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. foot — a measure
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. swing — to play on
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. face — to confront
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. face — to point toward
  24. patient — a sick person

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