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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. club — for golf
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pitch — completely
  11. court — for sport
  12. game — a match
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. board — to get on
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. court — of law
  17. cue — for pool
  18. board — a committee
  19. club — a group
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cue — a signal
  23. court — of a king
  24. game — wild animals

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