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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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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stock — shares
  5. firm — decided
  6. swing — to play on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hand — help
  9. club — a group
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. firm — steady
  12. swing — music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. firm — a company
  15. hand — in cards
  16. swing — in golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. face — to point toward
  19. club — for golf
  20. face — to confront
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stock — goods
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hand — part of the body

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