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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. board — to get on
  4. club — for dancing
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wake — a trail
  11. chest — of your body
  12. vault — a safe
  13. club — a group
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. club — for golf
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chest — a box
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pound — a weight
  24. board — a committee

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