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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pitch — completely
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. snap — to click
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. board — a committee
  14. club — for dancing
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. drill — army training
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. club — a group
  23. ground — a position
  24. board — to get on

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