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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: club · bat · pound · pitcher · face · pop · bay · stick

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. club — for golf
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. face — to confront
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pound — a weight
  21. club — a group
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. face — part of the head

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