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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: net · deal · band · club · stand · perch · pitcher · board

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. net — in sport
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. perch — the fish
  7. board — to get on
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. net — for catching
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. band — a music group
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. club — for golf
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. board — a committee
  20. net — after costs
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stand — to bear
  23. club — a group
  24. deal — a big deal

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