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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: board · bass · stick · can · rest · mate · face · pitch

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. face — part of the head
  4. can — to be able to
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bass — low music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — to get on
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. board — a committee
  12. can — a tin
  13. rest — a break
  14. can — a tin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pitch — completely
  23. face — to confront
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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