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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: bound · track · court · pitch · scale · face · jam · bear

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pitch — completely
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. scale — size or range
  6. face — to point toward
  7. court — of a king
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bound — certain
  10. face — to confront
  11. track — a path
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. court — of law
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. scale — in music
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — for sport
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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