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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pop — soda
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. spell — letters
  6. bank — for money
  7. rest — a break
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. board — to get on
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rash — a series
  16. bank — for money
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pop — music
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rest — what's left
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. club — for golf

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