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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. club — for dancing
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. board — a committee
  6. club — for golf
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. suit — clothes
  9. prune — to trim
  10. board — to get on
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. track — a path
  14. club — a group
  15. net — for catching
  16. stem — to come from
  17. chair — a leader
  18. net — in sport
  19. suit — to fit
  20. track — a song
  21. suit — in cards
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. net — after costs

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