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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — decided
  5. board — a committee
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. band — a ring
  8. staff — employees
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. band — a music group
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fork — in a road
  13. board — to get on
  14. firm — a company
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. staff — employees

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