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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. lie — to recline
  6. club — a group
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. board — a committee
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. capital — money
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. capital — a city
  18. board — to get on
  19. pitch — completely
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fork — in a road
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fan — to cool the air

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