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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: deal · face · bulb · stand · pitcher · bat · wind · pitch

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. face — part of the head
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. face — to confront
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wind — moving air

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