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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: bat · ball · club · plane · pitcher · perch · face · pass

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. face — to confront
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bat — the animal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. club — for golf
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pass — a permit
  13. ball — a dance
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. perch — the fish
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. club — for dancing
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. plane — a tool
  22. club — a group
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bat — for baseball

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