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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · ground · wax · toast · pitcher · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wax — to grow
  9. ground — the earth
  10. toast — bread
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. game — a match
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ground — a position
  15. game — wild animals
  16. face — to point toward
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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