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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: pitch · bank · race · face · wake · mug · ground · mine

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bank — for money
  3. race — humankind
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pitch — completely
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bank — for money
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. race — a contest
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mug — a face
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ground — the earth
  20. face — to confront
  21. ground — a position
  22. mug — a cup
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mine — for digging

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