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

Word bank: drill · coach · band · foot · board · deal · can · last

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. board — to get on
  3. deal — to handle
  4. band — a ring
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. drill — a practice
  7. last — to go on
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. band — a music group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — to be able to
  12. board — a committee
  13. foot — a measure
  14. drill — the tool
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. last — final
  17. can — a tin
  18. drill — army training
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. last — finally
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. can — a tin

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