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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. firm — steady
  3. club — for golf
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. firm — a company
  6. face — to confront
  7. cue — a hint
  8. club — a group
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wound — an injury
  13. face — part of the head
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. present — there
  19. cue — a signal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. present — a gift
  22. wound — an injury
  23. firm — decided
  24. rock — a stone

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