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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 120 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: foot · club · file · pound · chair · rest · board · calf

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rest — what's left
  3. club — a group
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. club — for dancing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pound — a weight
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. club — for golf
  13. file — a tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. foot — a measure
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. file — a document
  24. calf — a young animal

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