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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mark — a trace
  3. squash — to crush
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. board — a committee
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. club — for dancing
  11. squash — the sport
  12. capital — money
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mark — a grade
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. board — to get on
  23. scale — in music
  24. capital — a city

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