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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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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: pound · chair · board · track · arm · net · cell · rash

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. net — in sport
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. cell — in biology
  8. net — for catching
  9. board — to get on
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. chair — a leader
  16. net — after costs
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rash — a series
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cell — a phone
  24. board — a committee

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