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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 120 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 · game · pitch · can · saw · object · board · craft

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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 flat piece
  2. game — a match
  3. saw — the tool
  4. board — to get on
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. club — for dancing
  8. craft — boats
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. saw — the tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pitch — completely
  17. club — a group
  18. object — a thing
  19. craft — a skill
  20. game — wild animals
  21. board — a committee
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. game — a kind of play
  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