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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. swing — in golf
  3. shower — to wash
  4. object — an aim
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — a match
  7. object — a thing
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. object — to protest
  10. game — wild animals
  11. key — in music
  12. last — finally
  13. key — the most important part
  14. swing — to play on
  15. last — final
  16. shower — rain
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. swing — music
  19. last — to go on
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. board — to get on
  23. key — for a lock
  24. board — a flat piece

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