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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fork — in a road
  4. chest — a box
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rock — a stone
  8. face — to confront
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. club — for golf
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. club — a group
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. shower — rain
  20. rock — music
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. club — for dancing

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