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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. wake — a trail
  6. last — final
  7. club — for golf
  8. last — finally
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ground — a position
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. last — to go on
  15. club — a group
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lie — to recline
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. lie — an untruth

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