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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. saw — the tool
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cap — a hat
  5. date — the fruit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. game — a match
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. board — to get on
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. board — a committee
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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