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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. club — a group
  3. board — a committee
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. sharp — clever
  8. present — a gift
  9. pound — a weight
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lean — to bend
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. race — a contest
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. race — the arms race
  20. lean — thin
  21. club — for golf
  22. present — the time now
  23. race — humankind
  24. board — to get on

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