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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. club — for golf
  5. board — a committee
  6. club — a group
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. club — for dancing
  9. band — a ring
  10. current — electric
  11. band — a music group
  12. bound — obliged
  13. net — in sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. current — happening now
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bound — tied together
  20. hand — help
  21. bound — certain
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. current — of water
  24. hand — in cards

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