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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. saw — the tool
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. object — an aim
  5. board — to get on
  6. club — for dancing
  7. spring — a coil
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. club — for golf
  11. spring — of water
  12. bank — of a river
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. board — a committee
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. object — a thing
  19. key — in music
  20. spring — the season
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. club — a group
  23. object — to protest
  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