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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 · pitcher · face · track · pound · ball · wake · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pound — a weight
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. face — to confront
  8. lean — thin
  9. face — to point toward
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lean — to bend
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pound — for dogs
  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