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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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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: date · nail · can · board · face · bat · perch · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. face — part of the head
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. perch — the fish
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. date — the fruit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. board — to get on
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. club — for dancing
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. face — to confront
  20. can — to be able to
  21. club — a group
  22. board — a committee
  23. can — a tin
  24. perch — for a bird

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