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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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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 · chip · stick · club · craft · coach · rock · stem

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. rock — a stone
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rock — music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. club — a group
  6. face — part of the head
  7. chip — for betting
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. face — to point toward
  10. craft — a skill
  11. club — for golf
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. craft — boats
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. coach — a trainer
  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