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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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468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. club — for golf
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — in control
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pound — a weight
  11. charge — a price
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pit — in a race
  14. land — to come down
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. land — a country
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. club — for dancing
  22. land — ground
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. club — a group

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