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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. court — for sport
  3. club — for dancing
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. club — for golf
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. swing — music
  9. club — a group
  10. board — a committee
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. court — of a king
  14. bear — the animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. court — of law
  18. mug — a face
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bear — the animal
  23. swing — in golf
  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