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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: lean · pitch · racket · can · face · pop · fan · mouse

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pop — music
  6. lean — thin
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lean — to bend
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pop — soda
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mouse — the animal

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