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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 116 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lean — to bend
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. court — of law
  5. club — for dancing
  6. lean — thin
  7. board — to get on
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. court — for sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. board — a committee
  12. cold — an illness
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. capital — a city
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — not warm
  19. capital — money
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. court — of a king
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. club — for golf

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