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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cold — an illness
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. track — a path
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mug — a face
  11. object — to protest
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cold — not warm
  14. mug — a cup
  15. object — an aim
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. board — to get on
  18. kick — in football
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. object — a thing
  21. board — a committee
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mug — to rob

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