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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. board — to get on
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. club — for golf
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. club — a group
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. march — music
  11. game — a match
  12. march — the month
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. march — the month
  17. chair — a leader
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. game — wild animals
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. club — for dancing
  24. foot — the bottom

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