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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: current · perch · cue · pitch · ground · sharp · face · dip

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ground — a position
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. face — to confront
  8. cue — a hint
  9. ground — the earth
  10. current — happening now
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. current — of water
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. sharp — clever
  18. current — electric
  19. cue — a signal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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