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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: wound · pass · face · stick · board · pitch · wave · sharp

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. face — to confront
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pitch — completely
  13. board — a committee
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. board — to get on
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. sharp — clever
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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