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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. club — a group
  6. content — the amount
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. spring — the season
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. board — a committee
  16. spring — of water
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. perch — the fish
  20. content — happy
  21. club — for golf
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rush — hurry
  24. club — for dancing

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