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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. staff — employees
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. club — for dancing
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. can — to be able to
  9. spell — letters
  10. staff — employees
  11. deal — to handle
  12. spell — magic
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. club — for golf
  16. track — a song
  17. board — to get on
  18. spell — a short time
  19. track — a path
  20. stem — to come from
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. track — to keep track
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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