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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. land — to come down
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. club — for golf
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. club — a group
  7. staff — employees
  8. firm — decided
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. land — ground
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. club — for dancing
  14. band — a ring
  15. rock — music
  16. band — a music group
  17. staff — employees
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. staff — a stick
  21. land — a country
  22. plane — a tool
  23. firm — a company
  24. rock — a stone

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