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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · prune · club · board · hide · fall · bass · stand

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. prune — to trim
  4. club — a group
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — electric
  10. bass — low music
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stand — to bear
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. board — a committee
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. current — of water
  17. fall — to drop
  18. current — happening now
  19. board — to get on
  20. fall — the season
  21. bass — the fish
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. prune — to trim

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