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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bear · pit · sharp · bass · wave · mark · game · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bass — the fish
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mark — a grade
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. game — a match
  23. face — to confront
  24. mark — to pay attention

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