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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. perch — the fish
  3. tube — the underground
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pass — a permit
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. club — a group
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tube — a container
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. game — a match
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. board — a committee
  24. pop — music

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