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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: saw · mate · game · trunk · net · club · board · capital

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. capital — a city
  3. board — a committee
  4. club — for dancing
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. club — a group
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. capital — money
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. net — after costs
  13. club — for golf
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. net — for catching
  19. game — wild animals
  20. net — in sport
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. mate — to breed
  24. capital — a big letter

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