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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: pound · club · trunk · pit · board · land · straw · bass

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. land — ground
  4. board — a committee
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. board — to get on
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. land — a country
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. club — a group
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bass — the fish
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. land — to come down
  19. bass — low music
  20. pound — a weight
  21. club — for golf
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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