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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. board — a committee
  3. face — to confront
  4. board — to get on
  5. pass — a permit
  6. club — for dancing
  7. face — part of the head
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. race — humankind
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. club — for golf
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. face — to point toward
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. race — the arms race
  21. craft — boats
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. race — a contest
  24. board — a flat piece

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