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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. club — a group
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. club — for golf
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wind — moving air
  9. root — the cause
  10. rash — a series
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. board — to get on
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. root — of a word
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. board — a committee
  23. root — of a plant
  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