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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bear — the animal
  3. club — a group
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. bear — the animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. row — to paddle
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. club — for golf
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. row — a line
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bass — low music
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. club — for dancing
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. shower — to wash
  24. arm — a part of something

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