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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. board — a committee
  3. club — a group
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. game — wild animals
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. prune — to trim
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. prune — to trim
  18. game — a match
  19. board — to get on
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. club — for golf
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. club — for dancing

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