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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. ground — the earth
  3. board — a committee
  4. ground — a position
  5. club — for golf
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. present — a gift
  8. mug — to rob
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mug — a face
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mug — a cup
  14. ground — crushed
  15. suit — to fit
  16. dip — to sink
  17. game — a match
  18. board — to get on
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. suit — clothes
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. dip — a sauce

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