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

Word bank: face · deal · chest · coach · pitch · pound · mouse · root

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. root — of a word
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. face — part of the head
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. root — the cause
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pitch — completely
  18. deal — to handle
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. face — to confront
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chest — a box
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. chest — of your body

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