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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. club — a group
  3. board — to get on
  4. ground — a position
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cap — a lid
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cap — of ice
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. board — a committee
  22. club — for dancing
  23. ground — the earth
  24. club — for golf

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