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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.

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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: lash · face · rock · court · ball · pitch · chest · snap

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chest — of your body
  4. court — of a king
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. face — to point toward
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. rock — music
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chest — a box
  18. ball — a dance
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pitch — completely

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