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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: bear · mark · nail · ground · board · object · lean · club

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mark — a trace
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. object — to protest
  11. ground — a position
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ground — the earth
  14. board — to get on
  15. lean — thin
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. object — a thing
  18. club — a group
  19. ground — crushed
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. object — an aim
  22. lean — to bend
  23. club — for golf
  24. bear — the animal

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