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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. saw — the tool
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. can — to be able to
  8. board — to get on
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. ball — a great time
  12. can — a tin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. board — a committee
  15. wind — moving air
  16. club — for golf
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ball — a dance
  20. can — a tin
  21. file — a tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. club — for dancing
  24. date — the fruit

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