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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: bay · pitch · land · bear · face · bowl · roll · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fine — all right
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. roll — a list
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bear — the animal
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. land — ground
  24. roll — a cake

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