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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. board — a committee
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. board — to get on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. last — final
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. board — a flat piece

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