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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. club — for golf
  5. suit — in cards
  6. can — to be able to
  7. key — in music
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. field — for sport
  10. cue — for pool
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. field — farmland
  14. board — to get on
  15. bark — to shout
  16. field — a subject
  17. club — for dancing
  18. can — a tin
  19. cue — a hint
  20. can — a tin
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cue — a signal
  23. club — a group
  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