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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: face · lie · march · charge · pitcher · track · bay · bat

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. march — music
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. face — to confront
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lie — to recline
  10. face — part of the head
  11. charge — a price
  12. track — a song
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — in control
  17. track — a path
  18. march — the month
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. track — to keep track
  22. charge — electricity
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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