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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bark — to shout
  6. club — for dancing
  7. capital — money
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fall — the season
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fall — to drop
  21. club — for golf
  22. capital — a city
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. capital — a big letter

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