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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. board — a committee
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. clip — to cut
  5. board — to get on
  6. root — the cause
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. clip — for paper
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. roll — a cake
  13. clip — a video
  14. roll — a list
  15. root — of a word
  16. lean — thin
  17. root — of a plant
  18. lean — to bend
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. ball — a dance
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ball — a great time

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