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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: face · pitch · kick · pop · perch · hand · game · bowl

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hand — help
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. kick — in football
  7. face — to point toward
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pitch — completely
  14. face — to confront
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pop — soda
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pop — to visit
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pop — music
  24. bowl — a dish

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