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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. board — a committee
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. spell — letters
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bear — the animal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. club — a group
  12. board — to get on
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. spell — a short time
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. club — for dancing
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spell — magic
  24. trunk — of a tree

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