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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. net — for catching
  3. board — to get on
  4. club — a group
  5. net — after costs
  6. bat — the animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wound — an injury
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. club — for golf
  16. wound — an injury
  17. board — a committee
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. net — in sport
  24. bowl — a football final

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