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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitch — completely
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. face — part of the head
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — a stick
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wax — to grow
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. face — to confront
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. club — for golf
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. fan — a supporter

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