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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: face · content · game · pitch · bowl · fan · arm · deal

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. face — to confront
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. game — a match
  16. face — part of the head
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. face — to point toward
  21. content — happy
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. deal — an agreement

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