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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. track — a song
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cue — for pool
  7. club — for dancing
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. press — to push
  10. board — a committee
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — a signal
  13. club — for golf
  14. season — in sport
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. press — a publisher
  18. track — to keep track
  19. board — to get on
  20. track — a path
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. press — newspapers
  24. season — of the year

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