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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · roll · club · spring · wave · board · spell · craft

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. spring — a coil
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — a list
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. board — a committee
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. spring — of water
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. spring — the season
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pit — a hole
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. club — for dancing
  19. spell — a short time
  20. craft — boats
  21. spell — magic
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spell — letters

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