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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. club — a group
  3. board — to get on
  4. row — to paddle
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. row — a line
  7. club — for golf
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. band — a music group
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. band — a ring
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. club — for dancing
  20. board — a committee
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. capital — a city
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. capital — money

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