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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 116 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: bass · drill · face · mark · hand · safe · pitch · ball

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. hand — help
  8. drill — a practice
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mark — a grade
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bass — low music
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. drill — army training
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. face — to confront

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