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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: fine · content · rock · pitch · mug · straw · kick · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mug — a face
  11. content — the amount
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fine — high quality
  14. kick — in football
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mug — to rob
  17. face — to confront
  18. rock — music
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rock — a stone
  21. content — happy
  22. fine — all right
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mug — a cup

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