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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. board — to get on
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. board — a committee
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. charge — electricity
  7. club — for dancing
  8. swing — music
  9. charge — a price
  10. swing — in golf
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mug — a cup
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mug — to rob
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mug — a face
  23. charge — in control
  24. craft — a handicraft

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