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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 116 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: club · board · mug · bass · rash · bark · nail · mark

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. board — a committee
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bass — low music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. club — a group
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. board — to get on
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mug — a face
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bass — the fish
  22. rash — a series
  23. mark — a trace
  24. nail — for a hammer

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