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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. degree — an amount
  3. track — a song
  4. club — a group
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bear — the animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. board — to get on
  15. track — a path
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. board — a committee
  21. degree — temperature
  22. track — to keep track
  23. degree — from a university
  24. club — for dancing

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