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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 116 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: deal · chair · face · bound · cue · bowl · pit · pitch

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bound — obliged
  7. face — to confront
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. face — part of the head
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bound — certain
  24. pitch — a sports field

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