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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. scale — size or range
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. scale — in music
  6. club — for golf
  7. face — to confront
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spell — magic
  12. board — to get on
  13. mine — for digging
  14. club — a group
  15. face — to point toward
  16. board — a committee
  17. current — of water
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. club — for dancing
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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