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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. club — for dancing
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. can — a tin
  7. face — part of the head
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. can — to be able to
  10. club — for golf
  11. bat — the animal
  12. current — happening now
  13. cap — a hat
  14. current — electric
  15. cap — a lid
  16. board — a committee
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. current — of water
  20. cap — of ice
  21. board — to get on
  22. club — a group
  23. can — a tin
  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