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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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. face — to point toward
  7. board — to get on
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. board — a committee
  10. club — a group
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pound — a weight
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bat — the animal
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. tube — a container
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. club — for golf
  22. cap — of ice
  23. face — to confront
  24. tube — the underground

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