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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. suit — to fit
  3. board — to get on
  4. ground — crushed
  5. club — a group
  6. cap — of ice
  7. board — a committee
  8. craft — a skill
  9. club — for dancing
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cap — a hat
  13. craft — boats
  14. cap — a lid
  15. roll — a list
  16. ground — a position
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. roll — a cake
  20. ground — the earth
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mine — for digging
  24. suit — in cards

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