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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: bound · date · pitcher · stand · hand · fan · face · pass

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bound — tied together
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bound — certain
  14. face — to confront
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pass — a permit
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hand — help
  22. bound — obliged
  23. date — the fruit
  24. stand — to bear

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