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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: dip · can · pitcher · face · pitch · club · chest · hand

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. can — a tin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. face — to confront
  6. can — a tin
  7. dip — to sink
  8. can — to be able to
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chest — a box
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chest — of your body
  17. club — for golf
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. club — a group
  24. hand — help

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