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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. club — for golf
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. board — a committee
  9. mug — a face
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. board — to get on
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. club — a group
  21. suit — in cards
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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