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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: club · arm · board · bowl · chest · mug · shower · stick

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. club — a group
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. club — for golf
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. chest — of your body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. shower — rain
  16. board — a committee
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chest — of your body
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. board — to get on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mug — a face
  23. club — for dancing
  24. mug — a cup

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