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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: rock · court · bass · leaves · net · pound · board · staff

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. staff — a stick
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. net — after costs
  6. court — for sport
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. board — a committee
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. net — in sport
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. net — for catching
  13. court — of a king
  14. rock — music
  15. staff — employees
  16. pound — a weight
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. board — to get on
  20. rock — a stone
  21. court — of law
  22. staff — employees
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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