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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. ground — a position
  3. club — for dancing
  4. swing — music
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. swing — to play on
  7. board — to get on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. club — a group
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. club — for golf
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. board — a committee
  24. ground — the earth

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