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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. club — a group
  3. board — to get on
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. date — the fruit
  12. board — a committee
  13. club — for golf
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. net — after costs
  16. wax — to grow
  17. club — for dancing
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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