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

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. dip — to sink
  13. face — part of the head
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. saw — the tool
  16. club — for golf
  17. saw — the tool
  18. face — to confront
  19. squash — the sport
  20. face — to point toward
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. fork — in a road
  24. squash — the vegetable

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