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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. club — for golf
  3. board — a committee
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. club — a group
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. key — the most important part
  15. scale — size or range
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. scale — in music
  19. roll — a list
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. roll — a cake
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. hide — to keep secret

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