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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · board · bat · pit · rock · game

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. club — a group
  5. board — a committee
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. board — to get on
  11. club — for golf
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rock — music
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match

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