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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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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: wound · face · track · bay · race · bowl · mug · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wound — an injury
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mug — a face
  9. face — to point toward
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. track — a path
  15. race — humankind
  16. track — a song
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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