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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. club — a group
  4. rest — what's left
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bass — the fish
  7. staff — employees
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rest — a break
  10. bass — low music
  11. board — to get on
  12. clip — a video
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. club — for dancing
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. deal — to handle
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. club — for golf

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