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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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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: face · bulb · fork · pitch · swing · cell · ball · fine

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cell — in biology
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. face — to point toward
  19. swing — in golf
  20. face — to confront
  21. swing — music
  22. face — part of the head
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fork — to eat with

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