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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 116 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: club · fan · board · track · sharp · rock · rest · cue

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rest — a break
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rock — a stone
  8. board — to get on
  9. club — a group
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. sharp — clever
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. track — a song
  14. rest — what's left
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rock — music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. club — for dancing
  21. track — a path
  22. cue — a signal
  23. board — a committee
  24. cue — a hint

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