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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: pitch · spring · bat · jam · fine · cell · face · stick

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cell — in biology
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. spring — the season
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cell — a phone
  12. fine — all right
  13. spring — a coil
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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