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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. net — after costs
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. row — a line
  6. present — a gift
  7. club — a group
  8. suit — in cards
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. suit — to fit
  12. present — there
  13. net — for catching
  14. row — to paddle
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. club — for golf
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. present — the time now
  22. face — to confront
  23. club — for dancing
  24. net — in sport

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