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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 · sharp · pound · ball · press · kick · last · band

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. board — to get on
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. press — newspapers
  6. ball — a great time
  7. board — a committee
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. band — a ring
  14. last — final
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. last — to go on
  17. pound — a weight
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ball — a dance
  20. press — to push
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. band — a music group
  23. last — finally
  24. press — a publisher

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