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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. chip — for betting
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. march — music
  8. club — a group
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. march — the month
  14. chip — to eat
  15. board — a committee
  16. pop — soda
  17. bulb — for light
  18. march — the month
  19. sharp — clever
  20. board — to get on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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