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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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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: net · pound · coach · rule · saw · hand · board · bass

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. saw — the tool
  3. net — for catching
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. net — after costs
  6. bass — low music
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rule — government
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. hand — help
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hand — in cards
  20. net — in sport
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rule — a law
  24. pound — for dogs

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