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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: band · net · board · ground · temple · club · dip · content

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. content — the amount
  4. net — after costs
  5. ground — crushed
  6. band — a music group
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ground — a position
  10. dip — to sink
  11. net — in sport
  12. content — happy
  13. net — for catching
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. club — for dancing
  19. ground — the earth
  20. club — for golf
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. club — a group
  23. board — to get on
  24. band — a ring

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