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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. board — a committee
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. suit — in cards
  5. race — humankind
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. suit — to fit
  11. race — the arms race
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bass — the fish
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — to get on
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. race — a contest
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. suit — clothes
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bass — low music
  24. coach — a trainer

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