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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. field — for sport
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pop — to visit
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. key — in music
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pop — music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pop — soda
  21. club — for dancing
  22. field — a subject
  23. club — a group
  24. field — farmland

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