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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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. club — a group
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. band — a music group
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. club — for golf
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. club — for dancing
  14. board — a committee
  15. drill — the tool
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. craft — a skill
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. drill — a practice
  21. board — to get on
  22. craft — boats
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. drill — army training

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