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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 124 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. club — for golf
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pound — a weight
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. shower — rain
  7. net — in sport
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. net — for catching
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. club — a group
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. net — after costs
  19. club — for dancing
  20. board — a committee
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stock — shares
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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