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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 120 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 · clip · firm · ball · bear · present · cue · pitcher

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ball — a dance
  3. face — to confront
  4. clip — to cut
  5. present — a gift
  6. cue — a hint
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. firm — a company
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ball — a great time
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cue — a signal
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cue — for pool
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bear — the animal
  22. firm — steady
  23. present — there
  24. firm — decided

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