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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. club — for golf
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. kick — in football
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. swing — music
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. board — to get on
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stock — shares
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. swing — to play on
  21. club — a group
  22. board — a committee
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stock — goods

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