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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. can — a tin
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fall — the season
  10. mark — a grade
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mark — a trace
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. can — a tin
  16. track — a path
  17. fall — to drop
  18. board — to get on
  19. can — to be able to
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. face — part of the head
  24. kid — child

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