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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: prune · toast · board · land · game · pound · mug · arm

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. board — to get on
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. game — a match
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. mug — a face
  11. land — to come down
  12. pound — a weight
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. board — a committee
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. game — wild animals
  24. board — a flat piece

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