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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: foot · face · pass · bay · stock · cap · club · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. club — for golf
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cap — a hat
  7. face — to confront
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. club — a group
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stock — shares
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stock — goods
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cap — of ice
  24. foot — part of the body

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