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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bank — for money
  5. board — to get on
  6. mine — for digging
  7. season — of the year
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ground — a position
  14. craft — boats
  15. bank — for money
  16. club — a group
  17. ground — crushed
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bank — of a river
  22. season — in sport
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fine — all right

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