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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · face · stick · fan · bear · bass

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bass — low music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitch — completely
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bass — the instrument

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