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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: kick · face · object · swing · date · shower · pitch · ball

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. face — to confront
  3. shower — rain
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. face — part of the head
  10. kick — in football
  11. swing — to play on
  12. ball — a great time
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. object — to protest
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. face — to point toward
  18. object — a thing
  19. date — the fruit
  20. swing — in golf
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pitch — completely
  23. shower — to wash
  24. object — an aim

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