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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 116 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: coach · wave · face · bay · object · firm · pitcher · game

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. object — an aim
  10. game — a match
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. firm — steady
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. object — to protest
  16. firm — a company
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. game — wild animals
  20. firm — decided
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. face — to confront
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. face — to point toward

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