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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. board — to get on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pound — a weight
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. club — for dancing
  9. roll — a cake
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. roll — a list
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. saw — the tool
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. board — a committee
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. club — a group
  24. leaves — of a tree

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