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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bore — to tire
  3. club — a group
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. land — ground
  6. squash — to crush
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bore — to drill
  9. land — a country
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. suit — to fit
  18. game — a match
  19. suit — clothes
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stock — shares
  22. club — for golf
  23. land — to come down
  24. suit — in cards

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