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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pop — music
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. key — in music
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fall — to drop
  11. track — to keep track
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pop — to visit
  18. key — the most important part
  19. track — a path
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. craft — boats
  23. pop — soda
  24. pitch — completely

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