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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.

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: face · mug · bass · pit · staff · file · club · object

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. face — to confront
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. mug — a face
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. object — to protest
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. object — a thing
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bass — the fish
  20. staff — employees
  21. object — an aim
  22. club — for golf
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bass — low music

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