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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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. pitcher — in baseball
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. board — to get on
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bore — to tire
  10. board — a committee
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bark — to shout
  15. lean — thin
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bore — to drill
  18. perch — the fish
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. pitcher — a jug

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