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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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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: board · club · saw · deal · pop · pitch · spell · file

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pop — soda
  3. file — a document
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pop — to visit
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pitch — completely
  9. spell — letters
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. deal — to handle
  13. board — a committee
  14. saw — the tool
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pop — music
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. file — a tool
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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