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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. club — for dancing
  3. board — to get on
  4. field — farmland
  5. board — a committee
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. club — for golf
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pound — a weight
  16. spell — letters
  17. key — the most important part
  18. spell — magic
  19. game — a match
  20. key — in music
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. club — a group

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