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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. board — to get on
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bass — low music
  5. club — for golf
  6. plane — a tool
  7. band — a ring
  8. bass — the fish
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. club — for dancing
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. club — a group
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rock — a stone
  22. board — a committee
  23. chip — for betting
  24. band — a music 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