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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. club — a group
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. board — to get on
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mate — to breed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. club — for golf
  17. mate — a partner
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. scale — in music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. temple — a place of worship

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