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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: board · club · squash · foot · bass · shower · bound · ball

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bound — certain
  4. foot — a measure
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bass — low music
  8. bound — tied together
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bound — obliged
  13. board — to get on
  14. club — for dancing
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bass — the fish
  18. club — a group
  19. shower — to wash
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. shower — rain
  22. club — for golf
  23. ball — a dance
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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