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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. present — there
  3. club — a group
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pound — a weight
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. present — the time now
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. lean — to bend
  15. club — for golf
  16. bass — low music
  17. lean — thin
  18. present — a gift
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. club — for dancing

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