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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. net — in sport
  3. club — for golf
  4. net — for catching
  5. spell — letters
  6. net — after costs
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spell — a short time
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. club — a group
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. roll — a list
  17. wake — a trail
  18. spell — magic
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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