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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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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 · stand · band · cap · pop · bass · dip · pitch

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bass — low music
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. face — to confront
  6. pop — music
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cap — a lid
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. face — to point toward
  14. band — a ring
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bass — the fish
  24. band — a music group

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