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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. march — the month
  5. club — a group
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. march — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. march — the month
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. track — a song
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. board — to get on
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. club — for golf
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cabinet — ministers

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