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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. scale — size or range
  4. club — for golf
  5. face — to point toward
  6. club — for dancing
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rule — a law
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. key — for a lock
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stock — goods
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. club — a group
  19. stock — shares
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. key — in music
  22. rule — government
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stock — a soup base

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