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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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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. tube — the underground
  3. net — for catching
  4. object — a thing
  5. net — in sport
  6. object — to protest
  7. snap — to click
  8. club — a group
  9. lean — thin
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. board — a committee
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. board — to get on
  17. tube — a container
  18. net — after costs
  19. object — an aim
  20. bass — the fish
  21. club — for golf
  22. bass — low music
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lean — to bend

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