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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. scale — in music
  4. pitch — completely
  5. face — to point toward
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wind — moving air
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fine — all right
  14. face — to confront
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bark — to shout
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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