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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. club — a group
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. club — for golf
  6. fine — all right
  7. pound — a weight
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. land — to come down
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. ball — a great time
  14. club — for dancing
  15. land — a country
  16. fine — high quality
  17. board — to get on
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stem — to come from
  22. land — ground
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pitcher — a jug

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