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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · pop · pitcher · present · face · cell · mark · mouse

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. present — the time now
  3. pop — music
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pop — soda
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pop — to visit
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. present — there
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. face — to point toward
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. present — a gift
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. face — to confront

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