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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. foot — a measure
  3. object — an aim
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. club — a group
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. board — a committee
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. wound — an injury
  12. track — a path
  13. object — a thing
  14. track — a song
  15. object — to protest
  16. club — for dancing
  17. track — to keep track
  18. board — to get on
  19. club — for golf
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mouse — the animal

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