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

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. board — to get on
  3. key — in music
  4. toast — bread
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. band — a ring
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. present — there
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. present — a gift
  16. band — a music group
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cue — for pool
  23. present — the time now
  24. fork — in a road

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