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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. board — a committee
  3. club — a group
  4. scale — in music
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wake — a trail
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. club — for golf
  14. scale — size or range
  15. club — for dancing
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. board — to get on
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. kick — in football

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