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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wind — moving air
  8. club — a group
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. club — for golf
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wind — moving air
  17. club — for dancing
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cap — a lid
  22. board — a committee
  23. cap — a hat
  24. ball — a dance

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