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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. face — part of the head
  3. can — a tin
  4. club — for dancing
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. can — to be able to
  8. suit — clothes
  9. club — a group
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. board — a committee
  13. drill — the tool
  14. suit — in cards
  15. face — to point toward
  16. can — a tin
  17. club — for golf
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. drill — army training
  21. board — to get on
  22. drill — a practice
  23. face — to confront
  24. land — to come down

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