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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: bay · club · band · staff · board · firm · bat · deal

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. deal — to handle
  4. band — a music group
  5. board — to get on
  6. staff — employees
  7. board — a committee
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bat — the animal
  11. club — for golf
  12. firm — decided
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. staff — employees
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. club — a group
  21. firm — steady
  22. band — a ring
  23. firm — a company
  24. club — for dancing

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