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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: foot · face · mate · ball · pitcher · present · can · pop

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mate — a friend
  3. can — a tin
  4. present — a gift
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mate — a partner
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. can — a tin
  15. present — there
  16. can — to be able to
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. ball — a great time
  19. face — to confront
  20. pop — to visit
  21. face — to point toward
  22. present — the time now
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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