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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: board · wound · tube · staff · racket · prune · toast · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wound — an injury
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. toast — bread
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. prune — to trim
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. staff — employees
  17. board — a committee
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. tube — the underground
  22. prune — to trim
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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