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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. club — for golf
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rock — a stone
  19. club — a group
  20. land — to come down
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rock — music
  23. club — for dancing
  24. lash — an eyelash

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