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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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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: stem · suit · club · mine · chest · board · net · race

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. net — in sport
  3. mine — for digging
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. race — humankind
  7. board — a committee
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. chest — of your body
  11. race — a contest
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chest — a box
  18. club — a group
  19. chest — of your body
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. suit — to fit
  24. board — to get on

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