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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · fan · march · face · arm · object · mark · pitcher

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. object — a thing
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mark — a grade
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. march — the month
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mark — a trace
  16. march — the month
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. object — to protest
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. march — music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. object — an aim

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