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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: face · can · straw · scale · fan · pitch · rash · bowl

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rash — a series
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pitch — completely
  17. face — to confront
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. can — to be able to

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