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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: current · bat · trunk · board · ruler · club · bore · band

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. current — electric
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. band — a music group
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. board — a committee
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. current — happening now
  15. band — a ring
  16. current — of water
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bat — the animal
  20. board — to get on
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. club — a group

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