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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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Word bank
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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: cell · shower · club · board · arm · scale · mark · plane

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mark — a grade
  4. shower — to wash
  5. club — for golf
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — size or range
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. club — a group
  19. board — to get on
  20. shower — rain
  21. scale — in music
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mark — a trace
  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