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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 · net · squash · chest · club · jam · tube · plane

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. club — a group
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. net — for catching
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. tube — a container
  8. club — for golf
  9. tube — the underground
  10. board — to get on
  11. net — in sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. chest — a box
  16. board — a committee
  17. squash — to crush
  18. chest — of your body
  19. squash — the sport
  20. club — for dancing
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. net — after costs
  24. jam — in traffic

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