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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. present — the time now
  3. club — a group
  4. net — for catching
  5. face — to confront
  6. club — for dancing
  7. face — to point toward
  8. sharp — clever
  9. club — for golf
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. face — part of the head
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. net — after costs
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. present — there
  19. race — a contest
  20. net — in sport
  21. present — a gift
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fork — to eat with

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