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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rock — music
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. board — to get on
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pass — a permit
  9. club — for golf
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. club — a group
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fork — in a road
  17. club — for dancing
  18. saw — the tool

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