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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.

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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: game · net · fan · key · land · face · present · club

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. face — to point toward
  3. present — a gift
  4. face — part of the head
  5. game — wild animals
  6. present — the time now
  7. key — the most important part
  8. land — a country
  9. club — for golf
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. present — there
  13. club — a group
  14. net — for catching
  15. club — for dancing
  16. net — after costs
  17. key — for a lock
  18. face — to confront
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. game — a match
  21. net — in sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. game — a kind of play

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