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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · saw · face · court · dip · stick · mine · club

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. saw — the tool
  6. club — for golf
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. court — of a king
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. face — to point toward
  17. court — of law
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. club — for dancing
  20. face — to confront
  21. court — for sport
  22. club — a group
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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