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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: sharp · band · face · lean · bore · row · pitch · can

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bore — to drill
  4. row — a line
  5. face — to point toward
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bore — to tire
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a music group
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. face — to confront
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pitch — completely
  15. row — to paddle
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lean — thin
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. lean — to bend
  20. band — a ring
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. face — part of the head
  24. can — a tin

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