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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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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: face · club · ball · squash · stand · pitcher

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. face — to confront
  5. stand — to bear
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. club — a group
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. squash — to crush
  18. face — to point toward

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