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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: game · bay · date · board · sharp · club · track · capital

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. sharp — clever
  6. track — to keep track
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. track — a song
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. game — a match
  13. track — a path
  14. capital — money
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. capital — a city
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. club — a group

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