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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitch · game · lash · face · track · fork · march · mug

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fork — in a road
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mug — to rob
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. march — the month
  20. track — a song
  21. game — a match
  22. track — a path
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mug — a face

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