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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 · charge · lean · field · present · club · bass · foot

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. club — a group
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bass — the fish
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. lean — thin
  7. board — to get on
  8. club — for dancing
  9. field — a subject
  10. lean — to bend
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. charge — a price
  13. foot — a measure
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. charge — electricity
  16. club — for golf
  17. field — for sport
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. charge — in control
  22. present — there
  23. field — farmland
  24. bass — low music

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