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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. board — to get on
  4. club — for dancing
  5. spell — magic
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. spell — letters
  8. bore — to drill
  9. board — a committee
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pitch — completely
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. club — a group
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wake — a trail
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. club — for golf
  24. deal — an agreement

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