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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: cue · wind · face · arm · track · suit · pitch · scale

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pitch — completely
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. track — a path
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cue — for pool
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. suit — clothes
  21. cue — a hint
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cue — a signal
  24. scale — for weighing

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