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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. game — a match
  3. suit — clothes
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. suit — in cards
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. band — a music group
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. game — wild animals
  10. drill — a practice
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. mine — for digging
  14. drill — army training
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. track — a song
  17. drill — the tool
  18. band — a ring
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. board — to get on
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rock — music
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rock — a stone

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