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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: pitch · face · sharp · current · mate · wake · cell · ball

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ball — a dance
  3. current — happening now
  4. face — to point toward
  5. current — electric
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wake — a trail
  13. current — of water
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mate — a friend
  20. face — to confront
  21. cell — a phone
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ball — a great time

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