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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: bank · face · club · sharp · land · game · staff · bowl

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. face — part of the head
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. club — a group
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. staff — employees
  10. land — a country
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. staff — employees
  13. face — to point toward
  14. land — to come down
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. land — ground
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bank — for money
  19. face — to confront
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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