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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.

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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: wave · hand · firm · pitcher · face · ball · can · swing

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. face — to point toward
  3. firm — a company
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. firm — steady
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. hand — help
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. swing — music
  10. ball — a dance
  11. can — a tin
  12. swing — to play on
  13. firm — decided
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. swing — in golf
  17. face — to confront
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ball — a great time

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