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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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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: kid · tube · club · foot · wake · pitch · board · rule

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pitch — completely
  3. board — a committee
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. tube — the underground
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rule — a law
  10. tube — a container
  11. club — a group
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. kid — to tease
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. club — for dancing
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. kid — child
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — government
  23. club — for golf
  24. board — to get on

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