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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. club — a group
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. face — to confront
  6. file — a line of people
  7. face — to point toward
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. march — the month
  11. file — a document
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. march — music
  15. face — part of the head
  16. board — a committee
  17. club — for dancing
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. board — to get on
  20. march — the month
  21. snap — to click
  22. file — a tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — for golf

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