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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. club — a group
  5. march — the month
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. march — the month
  11. stand — to bear
  12. board — to get on
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bulb — for light
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. march — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bulb — for light
  19. club — for dancing
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. board — a committee
  24. bulb — of a plant

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