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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 · deal · can · drill · pitch · track · spell · fan

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitch — completely
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. face — to confront
  6. track — a song
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. drill — a practice
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. spell — magic
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. can — a tin
  18. drill — army training
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. drill — the tool
  22. spell — letters
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fan — a supporter

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