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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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468
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: hand · pound · bass · mark · board · arm · roll · stick

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mark — a grade
  6. board — a committee
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pound — a weight
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mark — a trace
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. roll — a list
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hand — help
  23. board — to get on
  24. bass — low music

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