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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: kick · object · board · ball · degree · band · club · bear

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. object — a thing
  3. bear — the animal
  4. club — a group
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bear — the animal
  8. object — to protest
  9. degree — from a university
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. degree — temperature
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. degree — an amount
  15. object — an aim
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. board — to get on
  20. band — a music group
  21. club — for golf
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. club — for dancing

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