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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: face · coach · ground · present · pitch · spell · fan · club

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. spell — letters
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. club — for golf
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spell — magic
  11. present — the time now
  12. pitch — completely
  13. club — a group
  14. face — to confront
  15. present — there
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ground — crushed
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. present — a gift
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. face — to point toward
  23. ground — a position
  24. club — for dancing

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