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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: rock · wake · pitch · firm · pit · fork · face · season

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. season — in sport
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. firm — decided
  13. season — of the year
  14. firm — a company
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. face — to confront
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pit — a hole
  24. firm — steady

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