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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 120 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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. board — to get on
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. cue — a hint
  10. board — a committee
  11. bat — the animal
  12. squash — the sport
  13. firm — decided
  14. spell — letters
  15. cue — for pool
  16. club — a group
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. spell — a short time
  20. club — for dancing
  21. spell — magic
  22. cue — a signal
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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