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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. tube — a container
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. club — for golf
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. board — to get on
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. roll — a cake
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. perch — the fish
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. tube — the underground
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pass — a permit
  21. club — a group
  22. board — a committee
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. roll — a list

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