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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: track · face · pitch · can · bass · tube · lash · bat

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. track — a song
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bass — the fish
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. face — to confront
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. can — a tin
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. tube — the underground
  19. track — a path
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bass — low music
  24. face — to point toward

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