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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pitch — completely
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. swing — to play on
  6. board — a committee
  7. spring — a coil
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. sharp — clever
  10. club — for dancing
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. club — a group
  19. lean — to bend
  20. swing — music
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. wax — to grow
  24. board — to get on

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