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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.

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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: face · nail · race · club · rock · rule · bore · court

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. race — a contest
  3. face — part of the head
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — to tire
  8. club — for golf
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. club — for dancing
  12. court — for sport
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bore — to drill
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. race — humankind
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rule — a law
  19. face — to confront
  20. rock — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. court — of law
  23. rule — government
  24. court — of a king

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