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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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

Word bank: game · board · row · cap · key · stick

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cap — a lid
  8. board — to get on
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cap — a hat
  12. game — wild animals
  13. board — a committee
  14. key — for a lock
  15. row — a line
  16. key — in music
  17. cap — of ice
  18. game — a match

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