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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: craft · board · bass · rock · cabinet · cell · band · row

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rock — a stone
  3. board — a committee
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. band — a ring
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. row — a line
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. craft — boats
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rock — music
  19. band — a music group
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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