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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. club — for dancing
  3. suit — clothes
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. club — for golf
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stock — goods
  8. clip — a video
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. board — to get on
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. clip — for paper
  16. stock — shares
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. board — a committee
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bore — to tire
  23. suit — in cards
  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