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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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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 · rock · temple · pitch · game · wake · bat · kick

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wake — a trail
  3. game — a match
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bat — the animal
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rock — music
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. face — to confront
  20. pitch — completely
  21. kick — in football
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. temple — a place of worship

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