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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. board — a committee
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. club — for dancing
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. object — to protest
  9. rash — hasty
  10. object — an aim
  11. drill — a practice
  12. content — the amount
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. drill — army training
  15. board — to get on
  16. rash — a series
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. club — a group
  19. bank — of a river
  20. content — happy
  21. club — for golf
  22. bank — for money
  23. snap — to click
  24. object — a thing

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