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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. club — for golf
  3. staff — a stick
  4. field — farmland
  5. club — a group
  6. staff — employees
  7. scale — size or range
  8. club — for dancing
  9. field — a subject
  10. rest — what's left
  11. field — for sport
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. charge — a price
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. capital — a city
  18. charge — in control
  19. rest — a break
  20. staff — employees
  21. scale — in music
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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