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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mug — to rob
  3. club — a group
  4. mug — a cup
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mug — a face
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pitch — completely
  13. present — a gift
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. present — the time now
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. board — to get on
  19. suit — clothes
  20. present — there
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bore — to tire
  23. suit — in cards
  24. pitch — a sports field

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