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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 120 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: object · fan · face · bay · pitch · bulb · fine · hand

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. object — an aim
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. hand — help
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. object — to protest
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fine — all right
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. object — a thing
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. face — to confront
  22. hand — in cards
  23. face — to point toward
  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