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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: firm · suit · spell · stick · arm · fork · club · face

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. spell — letters
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. firm — decided
  6. club — for golf
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. suit — clothes
  12. club — a group
  13. firm — a company
  14. fork — in a road
  15. spell — magic
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. club — for dancing
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. face — to point toward
  21. firm — steady
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spell — a short time
  24. face — to confront

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