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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. club — a group
  4. ground — a position
  5. shower — to wash
  6. board — a committee
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. rash — a series
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. club — for golf
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chest — of your body
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. staff — employees
  19. rock — a stone
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rock — music
  22. board — to get on
  23. staff — employees
  24. club — for dancing

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