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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: rock · pound · cabinet · drill · pitch · roll · court · face

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rock — a stone
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. face — to confront
  8. drill — the tool
  9. roll — a list
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. court — of law
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. drill — army training
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pound — a weight
  16. face — part of the head
  17. court — of a king
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pitch — completely
  21. drill — a practice
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. court — for sport

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