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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: bear · land · pop · board · suit · can · arm · game

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pop — music
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. can — to be able to
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. suit — clothes
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pop — to visit
  16. board — to get on
  17. suit — to fit
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. can — a tin
  22. pop — soda
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. can — a tin

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