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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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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: board · rest · last · pop · nail · cell · cap · club

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. last — final
  3. board — a committee
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. board — to get on
  7. rest — what's left
  8. club — for golf
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. last — to go on
  11. cell — a phone
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rest — a break
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pop — music
  19. last — finally
  20. pop — soda
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cap — a hat
  24. nail — for a hammer

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