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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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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: cabinet · mark · ball · perch · board · land · club · pitcher

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. land — ground
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mark — a trace
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. land — a country
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mark — a grade
  23. land — to come down
  24. club — for golf

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