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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 124 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. court — of a king
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. club — for golf
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mark — a trace
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. suit — in cards
  12. club — for dancing
  13. perch — the fish
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. board — to get on
  17. court — for sport
  18. march — music
  19. race — humankind
  20. suit — clothes
  21. court — of law
  22. mark — a grade
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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