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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: pitcher · pitch · leaves · track · face · fine · ball · stem

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pitch — completely
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. track — a song
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. track — a path
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. face — to confront

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