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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · firm · club · chest · foot · board · land · stick

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. club — for dancing
  3. chest — of your body
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. board — a committee
  6. club — a group
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. foot — a measure
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. board — to get on
  13. firm — steady
  14. chest — a box
  15. land — to come down
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rock — music
  19. land — ground
  20. club — for golf
  21. firm — decided
  22. land — a country
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. firm — a company

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