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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: club · hand · craft · rush · charge · band · pass · board

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. craft — a skill
  4. club — for dancing
  5. hand — in cards
  6. charge — in control
  7. club — for golf
  8. band — a ring
  9. pass — a permit
  10. craft — boats
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. board — a committee
  14. band — a music group
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. charge — electricity
  17. club — a group
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. board — to get on
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rush — hurry
  23. charge — a price
  24. hand — part of the body

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