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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. spell — letters
  3. club — a group
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. saw — the tool
  8. board — to get on
  9. game — a match
  10. firm — decided
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. firm — a company
  14. spell — magic
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. firm — steady
  17. pass — a permit
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. board — a committee
  20. club — for golf
  21. perch — the fish
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. game — wild animals

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