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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. club — for golf
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. club — a group
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. toast — bread
  14. wake — a trail
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. club — for dancing
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. arm — part of the body

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