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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lean — thin
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. board — to get on
  9. club — for golf
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. game — wild animals
  14. board — a committee
  15. chip — to eat
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. track — to keep track
  18. game — a match
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. track — a path
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. track — a song
  24. club — a group

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