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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · key · file · pitcher · stick · face · club · ground

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. club — a group
  5. file — a document
  6. club — for golf
  7. ground — the earth
  8. key — in music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. face — to confront
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ground — a position
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. face — part of the head
  19. key — the most important part
  20. face — to point toward
  21. file — a tool
  22. ground — crushed
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bass — the fish

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