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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: rest · pitch · march · face · dip · track · hand · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitch — completely
  4. march — the month
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. march — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. track — a song
  11. march — the month
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. face — to confront
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rest — a break
  17. hand — help
  18. face — to point toward
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. track — to keep track
  23. face — part of the head
  24. track — a path

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