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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: chest · coach · club · pop · arm · snap · board · bowl

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. chest — of your body
  4. club — for dancing
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pop — music
  7. club — a group
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chest — a box
  10. board — a committee
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. club — for golf
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pop — to visit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pop — soda
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. chest — of your body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. board — to get on
  23. snap — to click
  24. arm — 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