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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: pound · net · bound · board · staff · squash · season · rock

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. season — in sport
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. board — to get on
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. net — in sport
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rock — music
  11. net — for catching
  12. bound — certain
  13. season — of the year
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. net — after costs
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rock — a stone
  20. staff — employees
  21. bound — obliged
  22. staff — employees
  23. pound — a weight
  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