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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in 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. face — to confront
  3. club — a group
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. firm — decided
  8. spring — a coil
  9. firm — a company
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. firm — steady
  12. season — of the year
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. face — to point toward
  16. squash — the sport
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. squash — to crush
  20. season — in sport
  21. club — for golf
  22. spring — of water
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. spring — the season

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