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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 120 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 · craft · club · ball · rock · wound · object · tube

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. rock — music
  3. club — for golf
  4. ball — a great time
  5. board — a committee
  6. object — to protest
  7. craft — a skill
  8. tube — a container
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. rock — a stone
  16. club — a group
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — a thing
  19. tube — the underground
  20. craft — boats
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. object — an aim
  23. wound — an injury
  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