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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: lie · tube · craft · board · bat · club · pitcher · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. club — a group
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. board — a committee
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. club — for golf
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. club — for dancing
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. craft — boats
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. board — to get on
  24. lie — an untruth

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