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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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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: deal · roll · bass · net · board · nail · spring · club

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bass — the fish
  3. roll — a list
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. net — after costs
  6. club — for dancing
  7. spring — of water
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. club — for golf
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bass — low music
  12. board — a committee
  13. net — for catching
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. spring — the season
  17. club — a group
  18. board — to get on
  19. net — in sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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