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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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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: fine · face · track · club · object · bat · swing · fork

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. swing — in golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. face — to point toward
  8. fine — high quality
  9. club — for golf
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. face — to confront
  13. object — an aim
  14. bat — the animal
  15. track — a song
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. fine — all right
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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