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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. club — a group
  3. mug — a cup
  4. club — for golf
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mug — a face
  7. board — to get on
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. club — for dancing
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. net — for catching
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. board — a committee
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mug — to rob

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