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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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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. board — a committee
  3. rock — music
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bank — for money
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bank — for money
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. land — a country
  12. hand — help
  13. ball — a dance
  14. board — to get on
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bank — of a river
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fine — all right
  22. rest — what's left
  23. land — ground
  24. hand — in cards

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